America's wedding budgets are on the chopping block

About two million Americans get married every year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. But if cost is any indication, brides and grooms will still make it official this year — just at a significantly lower price tag.

That’s the takeaway from a recent study by The Knot, which notes that the average U.S. wedding party is down 20% since 2019, from 10 party members to 8. The average wedding cost was still high (at $33,000) in 2025, and industry professionals expect couples to keep cutting costs in what could be an austere year for the nuptials set. 

Here's a closer look at the U.S. wedding landscape in 2026, with a particular focus on price tags, anti-marriage social pressures, and market sentiment.

Wedding industry veterans expect a down year

Wedding sector experts say that marriages, in general, are down, and for multiple reasons.

“Our business was 20% down last year, and this year isn't looking great with bookings,” said Elizabeth H. Raley, owner at Elope to Savannah, a wedding services business.

Raley said she’s hearing from millennial and Gen Z clients that their friends aren't getting married. “The economy is in shambles, and we have an extreme political situation on our hands right now,” she noted. “A lot of people are cutting back because of financial insecurity and just being depressed.”

There’s a diminishing taste for wedding waste

Sector professionals also note that the general sentiment toward massive, opulent weddings is in retreat.

“After ten years of extravagant weddings scaling in an unusual way, we are starting to see the pendulum swing the other way,” said Amy McCord, founder and CEO at Oklahoma City-based Flower Moxie, a floral services company. “Couples aren’t anti-wedding; they’re anti-waste."

McCord said the economy is “definitely a factor”, as engaged couples prioritize housing and paying off student loans.  “In general, people are reflecting on a key question: who is the wedding for?” she noted. 

Other wedding industry experts back that sentiment, noting brides and grooms are resetting their sights, and their budgets, after seeing current wedding price tags.

“I cannot tell you how many of my couples have told me they originally started planning a big, traditional wedding, then when their Excel spreadsheet numbers got out of control, they decided to downsize to an "immediate family only" guest list, or even none at all,” said Jocelyn Voo, owner and principal photographer at New York City-based Everly Studios.

Where couples are cutting back

Voo said she’s seeing wedding couples cut back in two main areas: guest count and thinner wedding parties.

“Event guests are the biggest factor that will impact all other decisions like venue options, cake size, catering, and rentals, among other big costs,” Voo noted. “There’s been a major shift culturally where guests don't celebrate or pay attention in the same way, so couples don't want to spend their hard-earned money on people who scroll all night.”

Other wedding services professionals are seeing the same cash-prudent vibe with 2026 weddings.

“I’ve heard hundreds of couples say they thought about a wedding with 150 'obligation guests' turn to 12 people who genuinely know them, and the emotional difference is huge,” said Sean Oblizalo, a wedding photographer at Colorado-based Vows and Peaks. “Wedding parties are also shrinking or disappearing entirely, and venues are becoming more experience-driven, emphasizing cabins, national parks, backyards, and other places with emotional meaning instead of price tags.”

The ‘why’ is simple, Oblizalo said: couples are tired. “They’re weary of spending money on things that don’t feel like them, and tired of coordinating expectations,” he said. “When you strip it back, you realize half the traditional wedding structure exists to manage other people’s comfort, not the couple’s experience.”

Tips on cutting back on your 2026 wedding

For any bride and groom planning a wedding this year, experts advise adding a calculator to your wedding planner. These nuptial event tips should cool that calculator down.

Start with the big tickets and build a budget from there

The biggest driver of expense will always be the venue and the guest list, Voo noted.

“Couples need to figure out their priorities and their max comfortable budget, and we'll help them spend the most funds catering to that,” she said.

If they’re a foodie couple, it makes sense for the bride and groom to host their celebration at a Michelin restaurant. “In that event, we may have to be tight with the guest list,” Voo said. “Another couple may not have champagne tastes and instead value having all their childhood friends attend, so they may have a bigger party at a casual venue like a brewery.”

Cut costs for items that won’t last past the wedding day

It may pain a wedding couple to dial back on personal touches, but their bank account will look better on the honeymoon.

“Instead of buying an elaborate wedding dress with a giant train that you won't wear any other day, perhaps buying a cocktail dress and having a cathedral-length veil will give the same effect,” Voo said. “Instead of splurging on a ton of flowers at the venue, maybe greenery and votives will be enough for the tablescape, and you can save the actual blooms for your bouquet and boutonniere.”

Aim for your wedding day on Friday

Wedding specialists say they’re also seeing an increase in Friday weddings.

“A Friday wedding is a benefit to your budget as costs are often lower, but it allows our couples to plan a more casual day on Saturday,” said Jodi Drysdale, owner at CES Wedding and Events in Napa Valley, Cal.

Drysdale said many of her company’s weddings take place at destination locations, and an early Friday event allows her couple, along with their friends and family, to experience all that the area has to offer. “Whether it’s wine tasting or a beach day, it makes the wedding weekend feel like a mini vacation,” she said.

Budget or not, a memorable wedding is all about presence, space, and emotion

Oblizalo said the most memorable weddings he’s photographed weren't the most expensive ones, but rather the ones that were most un-rushed.

“Couples who build in time to breathe, to cry, to actually be together remember their day vividly,” he said. “When you’re not managing a crowd or racing a timeline, moments unfold naturally and those moments are what stay with you.”

“People don’t remember chair covers,” Oblizalo added. “They remember how it felt standing somewhere beautiful, holding the person they chose, without distraction.”