How Many Paychecks It Takes To Afford a Wedding in 12 States

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Love might be free — but weddings cost a lot of money. A survey conducted by the wedding registry platform Zola found that the average wedding expense in the U.S. is about $36,000.

To put that figure in perspective, consider the median wage for full-time workers in the United States is $1,196 a week or $62,192 a year, according to the according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means the typical wedding sucks up about 58% of the typical yearly income.

But as with most things having to do with money, the cost of a wedding varies greatly depending on where you live.

A recent study by online dress shop JJ’s House compared wedding costs nationwide to identify how many days people have to work in each state to afford a wedding. One thing it found is your location could determine whether it takes more than 120 paychecks to afford a wedding of fewer than 30.

Here’s a look at how many paychecks it takes to pay for a wedding in 12 states. The six states requiring the most checks are listed first, and the six requiring the least checks follow. Paycheck figures are based on getting paid once a week.

Hawaii

• Average wedding cost: $32,280
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 879
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 126

Vermont

• Average wedding cost: $44,720
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 617
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 88

Rhode Island

• Average wedding cost: $49,180
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 578
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 83

New Jersey

• Average wedding cost: $54,400
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 578
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 83

South Carolina

• Average wedding cost: $36,170
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 484
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 69

Louisiana

• Average wedding cost: $33,240
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 484
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 69

Kansas

• Average wedding cost: $20,000
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 247
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 35

North Dakota

• Average wedding cost: $21,080
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 235
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 34

Washington

• Average wedding cost: $26,380
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 222
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 32

Utah

• Average wedding cost: $17,380
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 221
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 32

Wyoming

• Average wedding cost: $16,750
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 214
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 31

Alaska

• Average wedding cost: $16,150
• Days to work to afford a wedding: 198
• Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 28

For the study, researchers analyzed data from The Knot and Forbes. They then calculated the average cost of a wedding in each state, and matched it with disposable income per working day. The final list ranked the states from fastest to longest path to a fully funded wedding.

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