A couple spent $21,000 on a nontraditional Hamptons wedding. It had 33 guests, estate-sale decor, and no dance floor.

The average cost of weddings rises each year, like clockwork.

Zola’s Wedding Cost Index puts the average cost at $36,000 for 2026, while The Knot’s Real Wedding Study lists it slightly lower at $34,200.

Those numbers are high, but in reality, many couples are spending much more on their big days.

Some have large guest lists, others want to splurge on flowers or decor, and many couples only have expensive venues available to them.

Some couples, though, are managing to pull off their dream weddings for less, like Hannah and Drew Williams.

Their intimate wedding cost a little over $21,000.