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Much like real estate, cocktails, and, okay, literally every other thing ever, weddings are pricier in Manhattan . The not-exactly-shocking news that NYC is home to the nation's most expensive weddings comes from The Knot's annual Real Weddings Survey, the results of which were announced yesterday, and include everything from the most popular accent colors (Ivory? Really?) to the average gown cost.
But before Brooklyn brides heave a sigh of relief, there's more: The greater New York area took home five of the highest six spots for average wedding costs, with Manhattan leading ($76,328), followed by Long Island ($55,327), North/Central New Jersey ($53,986), Westchester and Hudson Valley ($52,954), Chicago ($50,934), and in sixth place, New York City's outer boroughs ($49,781).
Manhattan is also home to the oldest brides (average age: 32) and the priciest dresses, with a typical NYC wedding gown ringing in at $2,914. The suburbs have us beat when it comes to fanciness, though—North/Central New Jersey and Long Island had the biggest percentage of black tie weddings, with 36% and 35% of ceremonies listed as "formal," respectively.
None of this is surprising, when you consider the venues and bridal salons we've got at our doorsteps—what is surprising is that even though wedding budgets nationwide continue to rise (the 2014 average was $31,213 compared to 2013's $29,858), guest lists are shrinking—the average number of guests at a wedding is now 136 compared to 149 in 2009. Also shocking: Invitations, in a world in which almost no one uses actual paper for anything anymore, cost an average of $439. Invitations.