Jan 7, 2025 - News

Seattle-area weddings are cheaper than the U.S. average, Zola says

Melissa Santos

Illustration of a magnifying glass with a wedding ring magnifying a wedding cake — Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Weddings are poised to cost more in 2025, but couples can get hitched for slightly less money in the Seattle area, according to the wedding planning website Zola.

By the numbers: Nationwide, the average wedding this year is expected to cost about $36,000, according to a Zola survey of about 6,000 engaged couples nationwide. That's up from $33,000 in 2024.

Yes, but: The average wedding in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area is expected to cost $29,528 in 2025, per the survey results.

That's far less than in New York, where the typical 2025 wedding is predicted to cost $65,000, or Washington, D.C., where it's expected to cost $52,000.

Thought bubble: If Seattle weddings really are cheaper than the national average, I suspect it's because we have lots of outdoorsy couples willing to get married in parks or outdoor locations — or, straight up elope on a mountain.

When I looked at wedding venue locations in Seattle more than 15 years ago — well before Seattle's cost-of-living skyrocketed in the 2010s — I found I could get married more cheaply in ritzy Napa Valley, California at that time.

Go deeper: More wedding trends to watch in 2025

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Seattle-area weddings are cheaper than the U.S. average, Zola says

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