According to The Knot's 2017 Real Weddings Study, which includes surveys of 13,000 couples that got married in 2017, Long Island ranks third nationally for the highest average wedding costs, behind Manhattan and North / Central New Jersey.
According to the report, the overall cost of a Long Island wedding, without a honeymoon, was $61,113, nearly twice the national average of $33,391,
Being in New York, most people would spend more money on their wedding than a Long Island [house] down payment. Long Island couples were more likely to have black tie weddings relative to the rest of the country and were among the biggest spenders on wedding dresses, according to The Knot.
According to survey by The Knot, all prices included are averages.
Photo details:
The venue $27,685
Usually the venue is the single largest expense for any wedding. Couples also told The Knot nationally that they spent about half their budget last year on reception places. At an estimated price tag of $27,685, couples from Long Island spend more on their place of reception than others spend on their entire wedding.
The wedding dates rivalry here is fierce and it's not just other couples from Long Island that are competing. Most New York City brides dream of getting a view of the waterfront from a Long Island location.
Venues may have multiple weddings in a day, especially in summer on Saturdays. Fall is also a common time to get married, with 30 per cent of weddings taking place nationally in September and October, The Knot said.
Most local wedding venues are popular enough to provide lists of professional vendors, catering on-site, and all-inclusive packaging.
Cultural customs may also play a significant part in the expense. South Asian weddings, for example, usually have more guests than the average and several days of events, contributing to the expense of the venue.
According to The Knot, holding a wedding at a different venue would add an estimate of $1,672 to the total, and transportation to the reception costs about $1,400.
The dress $2,347
Bridal gowns require an immense amount of labor from beading to alterations. But the price of the labor is not always evident.
In The Knot study, the average Long Island bride spends $2,347 — topped by Manhattan alone — compared to the national average of $1,509 for a bridal gown.
Modern brides gravitate more towards less costly designs, including bohemian flowing ones.
Still, a gown's final cost lies in the budget for alterations. Few dresses are ready to go fully and often brides prefer to attach sleeves, ties, a belt or, of course, a veil.
On a wedding gown, there are four to eight layers and each one has to be hemmed, for example. When we have to take in something that is beaded, you have to open a side seam and re-bead the entire thing, and that's working hours.
In most couples, everything starts with the ring.
Long Island couples surveyed by The Knot reported spending an average of $9,500 on the 2017 engagement ring, almost twice the national average.
According to a separate 2017 Knot survey of 14,000 couples around the world, couples spend on average 3.5 months searching for the right ring, looking at more than two dozen rings in the process.
45 per cent of those surveyed went for a custom band. Roughly half of the rock on that ring opted for a round cut diamond around 1.2 carats.
These patterns mirror what was seen among his clients by Jeff Reizner, owner of From Italy With Love Jewelers in Westbury.
Without a setting, the average 1.5 carat diamond he sells runs about $10,000.
"The most important thing is the diamond, so we suggest putting your money into the diamond and less into the environment, if people have a budget," Reizner said.
Reizner said many of his younger customers, like necklaces or earrings, forgot other wedding jewelry, but don't skip the wedding bands. These are running total about $2,000, he said.
But if you're investing the money then why not on the jewelry?
"When people get married, they can spend up to $100,000 for a couple of hours on the venue, the entertainment, and what are they going to leave with?"And he said. "Memories, pictures and jewelry... that's it."
Like almost any other group, Long Islanders paid more than other parts of the world for pictures and video of their weddings.
The Knot survey found that $2,630 and $1,912 for video is the national average for photo services. Yet on average, respectively, Long Islanders paid $4,379, and $2,617.
For too many few choices and high labor costs, and plenty of vendor pressure, photographers had to adjust.
A standard package will range between $4,000 and $7,000 and will include two photographers, a drone, an online gallery and a picture and video drive. Couples should add an album or prints too.
Ultimately, couples can select a photographer with so much competition that best suits their budget and style.
By the figures of The Knot, Long Islanders spend about $548 on their wedding cakes, $8 more than the national average.
There are a few options to pick a cake out on Long Island. Some holiday packages at the venue include food and a choice of cake from a short selection of choices.
With a custom cake, couples can get more choice but more choices means more money. Customers of Kounas usually want something beyond vanilla and chocolate and will pay between $800 and $1,600 for a cake that serves 150 guests.
One big trend among the recent orders is edible gold, which is a very expensive addition. Depending on how much gold is added a four-tier cake with edible gold could cost as much as $20 per serving. For comparison, it would be $5-10 per serving for that 150-person cake listed above.
You're paying for something which isn't your wedding cake every day. This is why people want to come to places.
Long Island planners said couples need to keep the budget for that segment in mind. First, families need to set a guest list and a fair cost per person, then find out where the money comes from to reach that amount.
This can be a difficult discussion to have early because this is not the sweet, enjoyable part of wedding planning.
According to the figures of The Knot, couples pay 41 per cent of the wedding costs on average, depending mostly on the rest of the parents. A 2015 Knot survey showed that 76 percent of couples went over budget and more than one third used credit cards to pay for wedding expenses.
It's also privilege to get a wedding planner. According to The Knot study, Long Islanders invested on event planning assistance an average of $2,046, just above the national average. Most planners provide packages ranging from organizing all facets of the celebration to focusing on just the wedding day.
One preparation tip worth it isn't? Vendors and designers suggest that couples should stop falling into the pit of trying to suit the kinds of weddings they see on bridal TV shows in Pinterest.
The tv programs, Pinterest, it plays a big part in the understanding of a bride. Truth hits when all the specifics are sold out.
Location: New York.
