- Weddings come with a lot of expenses, but, arguably, one of the most important ones is the wedding dress.
- INSIDER Data worked with WeddingWire to figure out the average amount spent on a wedding dress in every state, plus DC.
- Dress expenses range from just under $1,000 in South Dakota to more than twice that in New York.
- Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more stories.
Picking a wedding dress, for some brides, is the best part of planning a wedding. But it can also be daunting. Depending on your budget, it can be a huge expense.
INSIDER Data and WeddingWire worked together to see how much brides across the US spend on their dresses. As a whole, the most expensive region was the Mid-Atlantic region, including states like New York, which topped the list, and New Jersey, which came in second. On the flip side, the least was spent on dresses in the northern Midwestern states, like North Dakota and South Dakota, which ranked 50th and 51st respectively.
Keep scrolling to see how much the average wedding dress costs in your state.
ALABAMA: $1,571
This average is only $30 more than the average amount spent on a wedding dress in all of the southern Atlantic US, which is $1,541.
ALASKA: $1,473
Alaska has one of the highest divorce rates in the country - it's tied for eighth with Florida. On average, there are 3.6 divorces per 1,000 people.
ARIZONA: $1,514.50
The average cost of a wedding in Arizona is $21,605.
ARKANSAS: $1,287
There are two types of marriages in Arkansas, covenant and non-covenant. A covenant marriage is stricter: In order to obtain a divorce, a couple must go through marital counseling and be separated for a specific period of time.
CALIFORNIA: $1,780
In California, the average age of a bride and groom is 28.6 years old and 30.5 years, respectively.
COLORADO: $1,583
In Colorado, a wedding license costs $30.
CONNECTICUT: $1,964
You can get married totally alone in Connecticut - no witnesses necessary.
DELAWARE: $1,981*
Unfortunately, there was insufficient data for Delaware as a state, so the $1,981 is the average price for all of the Mid-Atlantic states.
WASHINGTON, DC: $1,682
DC's high average rounds out the top 10 states that spend the most on wedding dresses.
FLORIDA: $1,521.50
South Florida specifically spent the most on wedding dresses in the state, at an average of $1,628.
GEORGIA: $1,707
59,902 couples were married in Georgia in 2018.
HAWAII: $1,688
A wedding in Hawaii will set you back, on average, $37,827.
IDAHO: $1,319
While that doesn't seem like too much, the average cost of an entire wedding in Idaho is $19,925, according to The Wedding Report.
ILLINOIS: $1,581
The US is one of 25 countries to have legalized same-sex marriage.
INDIANA: $1,359
Almost half of the population of the Hoosier state is married.
IOWA: $1,400
Iowa ranked No. 34 for most expensive wedding dresses, which is relatively low. But it ended up being one of the highest of the Midwestern states.
KANSAS: $1,420*
There wasn't enough data solely for Kansas, but the average of all the northern Midwestern states was $1,420.
KENTUCKY: $1,345
Kentucky edged its way into the bottom 10, ranking at No. 41.
LOUISIANA: $1,363.50
Weddings in New Orleans are a real treat - after the ceremony, all the guests, plus the bride and groom, parade through the French Quarter in what's called a second line.
MAINE: $1,672
Maine and Colorado are tied for 17th in the country for highest divorce rate. There were 3.2 divorces per 1,000 people in Maine in 2017.
MARYLAND: $1,564
In 2018, 36,712 couples were married in the state of Maryland.
MASSACHUSETTS: $1,598.50
The average Boston bride spends $1,633 on a wedding dress. Out in Cape Cod that number skyrockets to $2,382.
MICHIGAN: $1,377
Detroit brides spend more on their dresses than the average Michigan bride, at around $1,560.
MINNESOTA: $1,358
The Minnesota government is big on education. A wedding license costs $40... but only if you have taken a premarital education course. Without it, the license will set you back $115.
MISSISSIPPI: $1,352
In Mississippi, both "idiocy" and impotence are valid grounds for divorce.
MISSOURI: $1,549.50
Brides in St. Louis actually spent a little less than Missouri's statewide average, at $1,758.
MONTANA: $1,176
Ranked 49th, Montana brides spend the least, on average, on their wedding dresses.
NEBRASKA: $1,270
An average Nebraskan wedding costs $23,488.
NEVADA: $1,420
Getting divorced is tricky in Nevada, but getting an annulment on the grounds of an inability to consent (read: being intoxicated) is relatively simple.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: $1,587
On average, men are 30.2 and women are 28.2 years old when they get hitched in New Hampshire.
NEW JERSEY: $2,029
New Jersey almost made the top spot, but fell just short and landed at No. 2. Brides here spend a hair less on their dresses than New Yorkers, but more than the rest of the US.
NEW MEXICO: $1,426
The most popular item on wedding registries in New Mexico is this Anolon Advanced Umber Hard Anodized Non-Stick, 12-Piece Cookware Set.
NEW YORK: $2,463
New York brides spend the most on their dresses, with an average of $2,463. Manhattan's average is even higher, at $3,376.
NORTH CAROLINA: $1,460
If you want to tie the knot in North Carolina, you need at least two witnesses.
NORTH DAKOTA: $1,117
North Dakota brides spend the second-to-least on wedding dresses: only brides in its southern neighbor, South Dakota, spend less.
OHIO: $1,462
Ohio landed smack in the middle in terms of wedding dress spending, ranking 25th in the US.
OKLAHOMA: $1,397
The average cost of a wedding in Oklahoma is $21,032.
OREGON: $1,242
Oregon uniquely only has one legal reason for divorce: "When irreconcilable differences between the parties have caused the irremediable breakdown of the marriage/domestic partnership."
PENNSYLVANIA: $1,781
Getting married in Pennsylvania includes a three-day waiting period between applying for and receiving a marriage license.
RHODE ISLAND: $2,029
Rhode Island is only one of three states whose average wedding dress purchase costs more than $2,000.
SOUTH CAROLINA: $1,656
The most popular wedding registry item in South Carolina (and many other states) is a Roomba.
SOUTH DAKOTA: $929
South Dakota brides spend the least on their wedding dresses: it's the only state in which brides spend less than $1,000 on their dresses on average.
TENNESSEE: $1,571
Tennessee is tied for 18th with Alabama when it comes to wedding dress spending.
TEXAS: $1,437
Brides in Houston spend the most on dresses in the state: the average wedding dress there cost $2,071.
UTAH: $1,179
Utah ranks 48th when it comes to dress spending.
VERMONT: $1,681
In Vermont, 34.3% of men and 28% of women have never been married.
VIRGINIA: $1,458
The average cost of a wedding in Virginia is $29,196.
WASHINGTON: $1,425
In Washington, 45,218 couples were married in 2018.
WEST VIRGINIA: $1,204
On average, men in West Virginia marry at 28.5 years old, and women wed at 26.4.
WISCONSIN: $1,434
In Wisconsin, the most popular item that newlyweds are asking for is an 8-piece Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery Self-Sharpening Set.
WYOMING: $1,334
An average Wyoming wedding will set you back $26,017.
- Read more:
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- The most popular wedding registry item in every state
