A couple the NYT spoke to described their apprehensions about the rising cost of getting married under Trump 2.0. After planning their wedding and sending out the invites, the couple Summer Ross and Anndreia Bond found out that the price of the bridesmaid dresses that their friends would wear has gone up by more than 50 per cent.
A price surge from 2023 to 2025
While a couple would have spent about $29,000 in 2023 on their wedding, that figure has ballooned to $36,000 in 2025, according to wedding planning platform Zola. And these costs are only expected to rise further.Average costs have always varied by location. According to industry data:
Highest state-level costs: District of Columbia tops the list with an average wedding cost of $70,625, followed by New Jersey ($67,706) and Vermont ($55,703).
Lowest: Alaska ($19,300), Kansas ($19,675), and Nebraska ($19,767).
Big cities are particularly brutal:
New York City: $64,685
Washington, D.C.: $51,944
Boston: $48,770
San Francisco: $48,250
Orlando, FL: Least expensive at $25,854
The national average masks this huge variation but Trump’s tariffs are hitting both high and low-cost regions alike.
Tariffs’ ripple effect on wedding essentials
The US wedding industry, valued at over $70 billion annually as of 2025, leans heavily on imports. Wedding gowns, flowers, décor, and electronics are largely manufactured abroad.
“Most vendors rely on international suppliers, especially for gowns, flowers, and even lighting systems,” said Marc McIntosh, founder of Team Wedding, in an interview with the New York Times.
Vendors who once imported materials cheaply from Asia are now scrambling to either pay the premium or find alternatives.
From lace to lighting: everything’s more expensive
Costs were rising even before the tariffs. The average U.S. wedding increased from $33,000 in 2024 to $36,000 in 2025. With tariffs now baked into the supply chain, vendors predict further hikes of 10–30%.
“Lace was already astronomical. It’s gotten way worse,” said Sergio Guadarrama of Celestino Couture, speaking to the New York Times. From couture fabric to LED lighting setups, nearly every component has been impacted.
Cities like Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis, Houston, and Seattle, which fell in the $30,000 to $47,000 wedding cost range in 2024, are reporting rising vendor quotes and thinner client budgets as of 2025.
Couples forced to reassess plans
Ross and Bond’s original budget was $28,000 in 2023. It has now crossed $40,000 in 2025, according to reporting by the New York Times. Their story mirrors that of many other American couples who are trimming guest lists, switching to DIY décor, or choosing local venues to offset new expenses.
Even mid-tier cities are feeling the squeeze. Wedding planners in Dallas, Cleveland, and Orlando which were typically more affordable, report panicked clients asking for scaled-down alternatives.
Vendors walk a tightrope
Bianca Salas, a wedding planner in New Jersey, said vendors are making tough choices: “If these tariffs hit, our rental vendors will either eat the cost or pass it on to the couples. And most will pass it on,” she told the New York Times.
Local sourcing is becoming a survival tactic. Vendors are building relationships with American manufacturers and farms, but with limited capacity and higher domestic prices, the strategy isn’t always viable.
What can couples do?
Experts recommend:
Plan early: Book vendors before more price hikes kick in.
Shop local: Reduce import dependency.
Get creative: Thrifted décor, non-traditional venues, and weekday weddings are gaining popularity.
While tariffs are aimed at strengthening American industries, their short-term fallout is creating economic stress at some of life’s most celebrated moments.
For couples tying the knot in 2025, Trump’s trade policies may have reshaped not just their budget, but their entire wedding vision.
