by the numbers

by the numbers

Wedding costs are being downsized with the rest of the economy. Here are some examples:

The average cost of a wedding in the United States for the third quarter of 2009 was $22,121, down from $28,730 in 2007, according to The Wedding Report.

The average wedding guest list was 145 people in 2008, down from 166 in 2007, The Wedding Report found.

Brides spent an average of $1,032 on their wedding gowns in 2008, down 22 percent from the previous year, according to a survey by www.theknot.com.