Real numbers by metro, guest count and style — plus how much to tuck away each month to pay for it without the debt hangover.
Most couples pay for the wedding out of pocket over the engagement. Here's what that looks like per month — and where to park the money so it grows while you wait. (Full playbook: how to save for a wedding · who pays for what.)
Across the U.S., a classic full-service wedding for about 120 guests runs near $35,500 all-in — roughly $290 per guest. Location moves that number more than anything else: the same wedding costs about $67,000 in Manhattan and $25,500 in a rural area. See your city.
Venue plus catering and bar — together they're roughly half the bill, and the service charge, tax and tips on food and drink add ~15% on top of that block. It's the first thing to shop hard and the best place to negotiate.
Three levers, in order: invite fewer people (every guest carries catering, bar, rentals and cake), pick a Friday, Sunday or weekday date, and go off-season (November–April). Stacked together, a weekday off-season date alone brings the average wedding down to about $25,500 — and a simpler 80-guest celebration lands near $24,000.
Take your share of the total, subtract what you've saved, and divide by the months until the date. The planner above does it live — and shows what a high-yield savings account earns you on the balance while you wait.