4^TH Annual Survey of Nearly 19,000 Recent U.S. Brides Reveals Most Expensive Cities for Weddings and In-Depth Insight Into Wedding Budget and Wedding Trends

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Knot Inc. (NASDAQ: KNOT), the leading lifestage media company with the top two wedding websites TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, today released the results of its annual Real Weddings Survey, which surveyed nearly 19,000 U.S. couples married in 2010. TheKnot.com & WeddingChannel.com 2010 Real Weddings Survey captures detailed feedback on wedding budget, style preferences, event characteristics and other key information related to the bridal demographic.

“In fact, approximately 1 in 5 brides are spending more than $30,000 on their wedding, and 12% of brides are spending more than $40,000.”

“Brides remain committed to planning a luxurious, memorable event and are willing to spend despite the state of the economy,” said Carley Roney, editor in chief of The Knot Inc. “In fact, approximately 1 in 5 brides are spending more than $30,000 on their wedding, and 12% of brides are spending more than $40,000.”

Key Average Wedding Statistics

• Wedding Spend (excluding honeymoon): $26,984
• Most Expensive Area to Get Married (excluding honeymoon): NYC (Manhattan), $70,030
• Least Expensive Area to Get Married (excluding honeymoon): Utah, $13,214
• Wedding Dress Spend: $1,099
• Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24%
• Bride’s Age: 29
• Groom’s Age: 31
• Number of Guests: 141
• Average Wedding Spend (on a per guest basis): $194
• Number of Bridesmaids: 4
• Number of Groomsmen: 4
• Length of Engagement: 14 months
• Most Popular Engagement Month: December (16%)
• Most Popular Wedding Month: June (15%)
• Most Popular Wedding Color: White/Ivory (43%)

Top 20 Most Expensive Wedding Areas

Interesting Regional Differences

TheKnot.com & WeddingChannel.com 2010 Real Weddings Survey can be broken down on a region-by-region basis across more than 80 markets. Regional highlights include:

• Budget: New York City (Manhattan) has the highest average wedding budget ($70,730), and Utah has the lowest average wedding budget ($13,214), excluding honeymoon only.
• Age: New York City (Manhattan and Outer Boroughs) has the oldest brides (32 years), whereas West Texas has the youngest brides (24 years), on average.
• Engagements: Northeast brides have the longest engagements (15.5 months), while brides from Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi have the shortest (12 months), on average.
• Wedding Size: On average, Nebraska and Iowa brides still have the largest number of wedding guests (213 and 200, respectively), and Hawaii and Nevada still have the smallest number of wedding guests (82 and 59, respectively).
• Wedding Style: Hawaii has the most casual weddings, while Northern/Central New Jersey has the most formal (black-tie) weddings.
• Economy’s Effect: Brides in New Mexico, and California and Nevada (Sacramento, Tahoe andReno) were the most affected by the economy, while brides in Alaska and Nebraska were the least affected.
• Registry: Brides in Toledo, Ohio, Kansas and Minnesota are the most likely to register for wedding gifts (96%).

Top 10 2010 National Highlights

TOP SPENDERS. New York City Tri-State Area, New Jersey and Rhode Island Brides Are Top Wedding Spenders, Spending More Than $40,000 on Their Wedding. Nationwide, 12% of brides spend more than $40,000 on their wedding event, and approximately 1 in 5 brides spend more than $30,000 on their wedding event, not including the engagement ring or honeymoon.

ECONOMY. Economy’s Decreasing Impact. Less than a third (31%) of brides said the economy affected their wedding budget – a decrease from 34% in 2009. However, when it does come to lowering the wedding budget, one successful cost-cutting tactic used by brides is to trim the number of wedding guests – 141 was the average in 2010, compared with 149 in 2009. Despite the decrease in wedding guests, wedding standards weren’t affected, as the average wedding spend per guest remained the same as it was in 2009 – $194.

BRIDE & GROOM SNAPSHOT. Couples Are Older and Cohabitating. Not only are couples older at the time of their wedding compared with previous years (29 for brides and 31 for grooms in 2010 versus 28 for brides and 30 for grooms in 2009 and 2008), but more of them are living together prior to marriage – nearly three-quarters (74%) compared with 70% in 2009 and 2008.

LOCATION. More Destination Weddings. Destination weddings rose the past two years, with an increase of 20% since 2008. In fact, approximately 1 in 4 couples considered their wedding a destination wedding in 2010. This, in turn, affected the percentage of guests needing overnight accommodations – 42% compared with 36% in 2008.

CEREMONY. More Ceremonies Outdoors; Less in Houses of Worship. Religious institutions, such as churches, synagogues and mosques, dropped off by 10% as more couples opted to hold their wedding ceremonies outdoors. In 2010, 43% of ceremonies were held outdoors, compared with 39% in 2009 – an increase of 10%.

COLOR: Purple’s Popularity. Purple is the new “it” color, with 1 out of 5 brides (21%) choosing it for their wedding – a 50% increase since 2008. What’s losing popularity with brides, though? Brown, which decreased by 16% since last year.

ENTERTAINMENT. Guest Entertainment on the Rise. Having guests merely attend a wedding isn’t enough anymore. Custom guest entertainment, such as photo booths and comedians, is on the rise, with 15% of brides incorporating additional guest entertainment into their wedding (up from 11% in 2009). In addition, 13% of brides have interactive food stations, such as a sommelier with wine tastings, a sushi chef or a cheesemonger.

ONLINE RESOURCES. Online Wedding Planning and Execution Continues to Increase. From using social media to communicate wedding details (a 78% increase since 2008) and creating/sending save-the-dates or invitations online (a 40% increase since 2008) to using an online RSVP service (a 31% increase since 2008) or setting up personal wedding websites (a 23% increase since 2008), brides are increasingly using online wedding planning tools to prepare for the big day.

PLANNING. How much and how stressful. As the wedding approaches, brides spend more timewedding planning. In the last three months leading up to their wedding, brides spend an average of 11 hours a week planning. Nearly 50% also found that planning their wedding was more stressful than they expected. Nearly 1 in 3 hire or use an event/wedding planner, with more than half of those brides hiring them for day-of coordination (52%).

DESSERTS REIGN. Not just wedding cakes. A majority of brides (68%) have a traditional tieredwedding cake; however, other desserts like a groom’s cake (20%), candy (14%) and cupcakes (13%) are also served.

About TheKnot.com & WeddingChannel.com 2010 Real Weddings Study

The 2010 Real Weddings Study captured responses from nearly 19,000 U.S. brides married between January 1 and December 31, 2010; respondents were recruited throughout the year fromTheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com membership, which represents nearly 80% of brides nationwide. Brides received survey invitations shortly after their wedding date and were asked a comprehensive series of questions about the event and their planning process. All qualified respondents:

• Were 18 or older
• Had a wedding in 2010

Survey respondents represent a variety of ethnic, education and income levels, and are geographically dispersed across the country. The survey and data management partner for the study was Decipher, Inc. Additional data highlights are also available at TheKnotInc.com/tkmi, while complete custom analyses and reports are available for purchase by contacting insights@theknot.com.