Want to Know What the Average Engagement Ring and Wedding Costs

The average engagement ring costs about $3,000-$4,000. The equals roughly 2-3 months salary for the regular Joe who is going to spend that much. Better start putting those pennies in your piggy bank. Joel spent a little bit more than this on my ring.

The average diamond carat size ranges from a .5 to a 1.0. Regardless, most jewelers will tell you that women prefer a full one carat diamond. My diamond is about a 1.25 carat size. I wanted the look of a full diamond but not one that was so big that it looked gawdy on my finger.

The average woman has a ring finger size of a 7, with the typical ring size spanning from a 5 to a 10. Not everyone falls into this range...I have extremely tiny hands and a size 3 ring finger....I won't go into it, but it was quite an ordeal to get my ring resized

The average engagement lasts for over a year, so you have plenty of time to plan and look through bridal magazines. Joel and I opted for a six months long engagement. We had already dated for 3 years and felt like we were ready to move forward without waiting for a full year. That meant I started planning the wedding about a week after the proposal.

The average wedding costs $26,000-$30,000! Yikes! Expect to spend in more expensive areas of the county such as New York or New Jersey. Joel and I spent quite a bit less and still had a very elegant wedding...so it can be done.

The average age of the bride and groom ranges from 27-29. That described us perfectly...we were 27 and 28.

The average wedding has close to 200 guests. We had about 80... it was a nice sized, intimate affair.

The average couple spends at least $3,000 more than they had anticipated on the wedding. We were good and only went about $500 over our budget. We are both very practical individuals and really preferred to direct our savings towards a downpayment on a house.

An average of 53% of weddings make it until "death do us part." I know this will be us :)

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