Wedding statistics.
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The United States recorded 2,041,926 marriages in 2023 in provisional CDC/NCHS data. Data period: 2023. This counts marriages, not reception events. 2023 is the latest year in the CDC table checked for this collection. Source: CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, National marriage and divorce rate trends, 2000 to 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/marriage-divorce/national-marriage-divorce-rates-00-23.pdf Method: Provisional marriage counts and crude rates from the National Vital Statistics System. The rate uses the total US population. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#us-marriages

The provisional US marriage rate was 6.1 marriages per 1,000 total population in 2023. Data period: 2023. The denominator includes the whole population. This is not the percentage of unmarried adults who married. Source: CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, National marriage and divorce rate trends, 2000 to 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/marriage-divorce/national-marriage-divorce-rates-00-23.pdf Method: Provisional marriage counts and crude rates from the National Vital Statistics System. The rate uses the total US population. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#marriage-rate

The US Census Bureau estimated the median age at first marriage at 30.8 years for men in 2025. Data period: 2025. The comparable 1975 estimate was 23.5. This is a median for first marriage, not an average across all marriages. Source: US Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2025 release. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/families-and-living-arrangements.html Method: Estimates from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). The release compares 2025 with 1975. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#first-marriage-men

The US Census Bureau estimated the median age at first marriage at 28.4 years for women in 2025. Data period: 2025. The comparable 1975 estimate was 21.1. Men and women are the categories published in this source. Source: US Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2025 release. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/families-and-living-arrangements.html Method: Estimates from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). The release compares 2025 with 1975. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#first-marriage-women

Married-couple households accounted for 47% of US households in 2025, compared with 66% in 1975, in Census Bureau estimates. Data period: 2025. This is a share of households. It does not mean that 47% of US adults are married. Source: US Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2025 release. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/families-and-living-arrangements.html Method: Estimates from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). The release compares 2025 with 1975. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#married-couple-households

The Knot reports an average wedding cost of $34,200 for US couples in its 2025 wedding survey. Data period: 2025 weddings. Ceremony and reception spending. This is an average, not a median or a recommended budget. Source: The Knot, Average Wedding Cost, using the 2026 Real Weddings Study. https://www.theknot.com/content/average-wedding-cost Method: Self-reported survey of 10,474 US couples married in 2025, recruited by email from The Knot and WeddingWire members. Results describe respondents, not a census of all weddings. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#average-wedding-cost

The Knot reports an average of 117 guests for weddings in its 2025 US wedding survey. Data period: 2025 weddings. A survey average, not a recommended guest-list size. Source: The Knot, Average Wedding Cost, using the 2026 Real Weddings Study. https://www.theknot.com/content/average-wedding-cost Method: Self-reported survey of 10,474 US couples married in 2025, recruited by email from The Knot and WeddingWire members. Results describe respondents, not a census of all weddings. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#average-guest-count

The Knot reports an average wedding cost per guest of $292 in its 2025 US wedding survey. Data period: 2025 weddings. This describes the wedding's cost per guest, not guests' travel spending or a suggested gift amount. Source: The Knot, Average Wedding Cost, using the 2026 Real Weddings Study. https://www.theknot.com/content/average-wedding-cost Method: Self-reported survey of 10,474 US couples married in 2025, recruited by email from The Knot and WeddingWire members. Results describe respondents, not a census of all weddings. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#cost-per-guest

The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study reports that couples hired an average of 13 wedding vendors. Data period: 2025 weddings. The main wedding cohort married in 2025. The release does not give a separate sample size for this question. Source: The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings Study: release and methodology. https://www.theknotww.com/press-releases/the-knot-worldwide-unveils-2026-real-weddings-study Method: The main study includes 10,474 US couples married in 2025. The release also draws on other surveys; individual question sample sizes are not supplied. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#wedding-vendors

The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study reports that 89% of surveyed couples booked a wedding venue. Data period: 2025 weddings. An industry-survey result. It should not be presented as an official share of all US marriages. Source: The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings Study: release and methodology. https://www.theknotww.com/press-releases/the-knot-worldwide-unveils-2026-real-weddings-study Method: The main study includes 10,474 US couples married in 2025. The release also draws on other surveys; individual question sample sizes are not supplied. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#venue-booking

Bank of America Institute reports that average wedding-related spending per customer rose 8.5% in January to May 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Data period: January to May 2026, year over year. This is a change in selected customer payments, not an 8.5% rise in the price of an average wedding. Merchant categories can capture non-wedding events. Source: Bank of America Institute, Weddings: Putting a price on love. https://institute.bankofamerica.com/content/dam/economic-insights/wedding-spending.pdf Method: Aggregated, anonymized US customer ACH and card payments, classified by merchant codes and names. Wedding-related categories can include other events. See exhibit 1 and the methodology on page 8. Source checked October 15, 2026. Compiled by Wedding Congratulations: https://weddingcongratulations.org/wedding-statistics#wedding-related-spending