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Wedding spending rose 8.5 percent in 2026 as inflation hit 4.2 percent
Couples increased wedding-related outlays by 8.5 percent compared with 2025. Bank of America Institute data linked the increase to higher prices for imported goods and broader inflation that reached 4.2 percent in May.
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Wedding-related spending rose 8.5 percent in 2026 from the prior year, CBS News reported, citing a Bank of America Institute analysis of credit-card, debit-card and bank-transfer data. The increase covered transactions for venue rentals, catering, photography, florists and apparel. Inflation reached 4.2 percent on an annualized basis in May 2026, the highest level in more than three years.
Tariffs on imported products such as flowers and cocoa contributed to higher costs for some wedding items, with businesses passing at least part of those expenses to customers. The average wedding cost $36,000 in 2025, an increase of $3,000 from 2024. Spending by couples in the South grew five times faster than spending by couples in the Midwest.
The number of Gen Z weddings has tripled since 2019, while the number of millennial weddings dropped by roughly 20 percent over the same period. More couples are choosing lab-grown diamonds over natural stones.
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