Planning a California wedding? Congratulations!
Let’s see how your wedding stacks up against other nuptials in the Golden State.

And remember, these numbers are just averages as self-reported at the time (2016). You can have the most amazing wedding in California even if your numbers look absolutely nothing like the ones below.

Average Wedding Cost:

  • The average total wedding cost in the state of California is (deep breath!) between $30,497 and $39,167.
  • Of the top five wedding cities in California, Santa Barbara wins for most expensive average wedding cost and San Diego is the cheapest. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Palm Springs are in the middle (between $35,000 and $37,500).

Most Popular Cities to Tie the Knot:

  • The most popular cities for a California wedding are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs.

Number of Californians Getting Married:

  • The California marriage rate is above the national average.
  • The California marriage rate is 7.8 per 1000 people getting married.

Average Wedding Gown Cost:

  • The average cost of a wedding gown in California is between $1505 and $2038.
  • Of the top five wedding cities in California, the most expensive dresses are found at weddings in Santa Barbara and the least expensive are found in San Diego. The other cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Palm Springs, fall in the middle with dresses in the $1700 – $1800 range.
Photo by Erica Miller Photography

Average Wedding Cake Cost:

  • The average cost of a wedding cake in California is between $516 and $884.
  • Of the top five wedding cities in California, the most expensive cakes are seen at weddings in Palm Springs and the least expensive are found in San Diego. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Barbara see cakes in the $600 range.

Age of Brides and Grooms:

  • Like many modern couples, Californians are waiting until their later years to tie the knot.
  • The average age of a bride in California is between 27 and 30.
  • The average age of a groom in California is between 29 and 32.

Length of Engagement:

  • On average, Californians are engaged for 13.5 to 14.7 months.
  • They spend 10-12 months planning their wedding.

Most Popular Wedding Season:

  • Fall is peak California wedding season.
  • 57% of Palm Springs couples get married between September and November. 36% of Sacramento couples opt for the fall too.
  • But any season in California is a great time to get married. 9-36% of Californian couples get married in the summer from June to August, 19-26% prefer the spring and 3-17% opt for winter weddings.

Wedding Dates You Might Want to Avoid:

  • In general, you should be cautious if your chosen wedding date falls on a holiday. Many venues may be booked or charging a higher rate, vendors may be unavailable and travel will be more expensive. Your guests may also be unable to make it on certain holidays.
  • Other events to be wary of when planning a wedding in certain parts of California: Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Coachella, July 4th Fireworks Spectacular and Los Angeles County Fair.

Thanks to TheKnot for these great stats! 

Written by Riana Ang-Canning
Feature image by Erica Miller Photography