It Costs HOW Much for a Wedding?

Ladies, do you know how much your engagement ring cost?

The average for a guy to spend now on the rock, is $4600.  That's actually down 27 percent from two years ago, according to Brides magazine.

What about the total cost of the wedding?

Brides Magazine says couples marrying in 2011 are spending an average of $26,501 on their nuptials.  Two years ago, it was $28,082 on the big day, so you're gettin' off cheap now!

The average price for a wedding dress has increased 20 percent over the past two years, from $1,072 in 2009 to $1,286 in 2011.

Just 15 percent of brides opt for a destination wedding these days, compared with 25 percent in 2009.

One in five couples saved money on invitations by creating digital versions that were emailed to guests.  Evite your wedding, why not!

So if you elope and save the expense of a big wedding, you'll have about $26,000 to put down on a house instead.   And that lasts much longer than one day.   Hmmm, food for thought.