Pittsburgh Wedding Planner | The Informed Bride

More often than not, the main question when planning a wedding is 'how much is this stuff going to cost me!?' The answer to this question varies across the board as everything ultimately depends on your guest count, reception location, food and beverage, and design choices. Do you want a ton of flowers or do you want small arrangements? Do you want a plated dinner or buffet style? Do you want an elaborate design or simple design? The bottom line for a casual, informal garden wedding for 75 guests is going to be vastly different than a fancy, semi-formal hotel ballroom affair for 150 guests. Inspired Bride shared the results from The Knot and The Wedding Channel on a recent survey they did to reveal the latest wedding budget and trend insights in the $74 billion wedding industry. Here are the key findings in national trends from the survey...

-Since 2008, the average wedding budget has grown year over year, to $27,021. More couples are leaning towards a more casual wedding. While the “semi-formal” style category still reigns, fewer brides are opting for a “black tie” event.

-Here’s news to fall brides, fall weddings are more popular! While summer will always be “summer season”, 2011 saw a drop with only 37% having a wedding in the summer months. (Compared to 41% in 2010 and 2009). Fall weddings became more popular with 36% marrying in the fall months. (Compared to 30% in 2010 and 2009)

-Topline Statistics:
Bride’s Age: 29; Groom’s Age: 30
Average Amount Spent Per Guest: $196
Wedding Vendors Spend Increase: Wedding dress (up 2%), wedding planner (up 4%), music (up 3%), ceremony location (up 14%)

Happy Planning! Cheers to the weekend :-)
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Photo Credit: Inspired Bride