2021’s Best Places to Get Married – Campbellsville University

Editors Note: This story is provided by WalletHub. Nikki Erwin, Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Director/Lead Professor of Marriage and Family Ministry at Campbellsville University, is a contributor to the story and her information is below.

By Adam McCann, Financial Writer, WalletHub

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and it’s a very popular time for people to get engaged. Thinking about getting married can be very stressful in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, though. This public health crisis has drastically altered many couples’ wedding plans or pushed them back. The good news is that the restrictions on large gatherings will eventually be loosened once a significant portion of the U.S. is able to get vaccinated this year. Therefore, engaged couples may want to begin their wedding planning now so that they will have less of a rush when things return to normal. In the aftermath of COVID-19, cost is likely to be an even bigger concern than it usually is for many couples, as millions of Americans have been financially impacted by the pandemic and may need to cut back their spending.

Weddings in the U.S. traditionally have an enormous price tag, with the average couple shelling out over $38,000 for their big day. There are so many things to purchase and organize that many couples hire professional event planners to do the heavy lifting. Between sending invitations, securing reservations, planning a menu and obsessing over final touches on the cake, it’s no wonder weddings are arranged months, even years, in advance. Tying the knot is a huge commitment, and the wedding industry is worth around $73.3 billion in revenue per year.

At WalletHub, we understand the logistical and financial stresses of that typically long march to “I do.” In order to assist with the planning process, we compared more than 180 U.S. cities to find the cheapest and most convenient wedding destinations that also promise a memorable day. We examined each city across 20 key indicators of wedding-friendliness, ranging from average wedding cost to venues and event spaces per capita to wedding vendors.

Main Findings

Best Places to Get Married in the U.S.

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Costs	Facilities & Services	Safety
1	Orlando, FL	72.13	14	2	39
2	Fayetteville, NC	67.86	6	130	26
3	Austin, TX	65.29	61	11	28
4	Portland, OR	64.80	114	20	8
5	Charleston, WV	64.24	2	142	79
6	Kansas City, MO	63.59	77	67	12
7	Atlanta, GA	62.95	66	5	46
8	Vancouver, WA	62.86	120	49	7
9	Tampa, FL	62.61	35	17	47
10	San Francisco, CA	61.62	162	4	6
11	Cincinnati, OH	61.22	51	26	41
12	Newport News, VA	60.81	70	146	16
13	Seattle, WA	60.67	137	13	11
14	Raleigh, NC	60.18	98	48	24
15	Virginia Beach, VA	60.14	89	89	19
16	Lewiston, ME	60.01	103	182	10
17	Las Vegas, NV	59.84	17	3	138
18	Richmond, VA	59.83	115	32	22
19	Honolulu, HI	59.82	171	9	1
20	Durham, NC	59.67	92	80	23
21	Norfolk, VA	59.39	80	135	20
22	Knoxville, TN	59.27	7	73	97
23	Salem, OR	59.24	81	128	21
24	Boise, ID	59.22	5	84	100
25	Portland, ME	59.12	127	86	9
26	Greensboro, NC	59.01	48	112	33
27	Houston, TX	58.45	99	19	34
28	Charleston, SC	57.93	84	28	44
29	Spokane, WA	57.77	49	87	48
30	Charlotte, NC	57.53	64	47	45
31	St. Louis, MO	57.38	74	24	62
32	Tulsa, OK	57.09	10	109	93
33	Sacramento, CA	57.08	134	8	29
34	Albuquerque, NM	56.93	26	99	74
35	Tacoma, WA	56.87	137	60	13
36	Missoula, MT	56.74	93	96	31
37	Oklahoma City, OK	56.60	31	91	78
38	Columbia, SC	56.40	42	44	87
39	Huntington, WV	56.36	13	178	80
40	St. Petersburg, FL	56.10	40	95	69
41	Chattanooga, TN	55.84	12	88	118
42	Grand Rapids, MI	55.81	56	51	71
43	Lexington-Fayette, KY	55.76	45	119	61
44	Chesapeake, VA	55.72	106	139	27
45	Winston-Salem, NC	55.50	59	149	40
46	Plano, TX	55.42	110	70	30
47	Gulfport, MS	55.32	37	167	63
48	Fort Lauderdale, FL	55.21	63	21	98
49	San Diego, CA	55.18	143	6	35
50	Columbus, GA	55.08	34	154	76
51	Dallas, TX	55.04	86	29	77
52	Fresno, CA	54.99	25	65	101
53	Columbus, OH	54.80	97	83	38
54	Juneau, AK	54.69	172	175	3
55	Memphis, TN	54.59	9	121	117
56	Madison, WI	54.58	108	94	32
57	Oakland, CA	54.39	161	22	14
58	Springfield, MO	54.17	19	110	110
59	Cleveland, OH	54.14	94	58	53
60	Reno, NV	54.02	32	43	121
61	Tallahassee, FL	53.97	57	93	73
62	Wichita, KS	53.78	39	126	83
63	Salt Lake City, UT	53.74	96	10	102
64	South Burlington, VT	53.68	176	151	4
65	Las Cruces, NM	53.54	1	172	150
66	Mobile, AL	53.43	27	104	113
67	Pittsburgh, PA	53.22	124	34	50
68	Colorado Springs, CO	52.98	101	74	54
69	Huntsville, AL	52.93	87	131	51
70	Birmingham, AL	52.75	18	56	133
71	Burlington, VT	52.61	164	124	4
72	Jacksonville, FL	52.48	72	72	84
73	San Jose, CA	52.48	165	15	25
74	Port St. Lucie, FL	52.26	24	179	88
75	Santa Rosa, CA	52.23	156	46	17
76	Cape Coral, FL	52.14	68	165	64
77	North Las Vegas, NV	51.99	15	38	138
78	Cheyenne, WY	51.97	65	174	70
79	Denver, CO	51.88	122	16	82
80	Lincoln, NE	51.77	105	108	49
81	Louisville, KY	51.56	75	81	89
82	Jackson, MS	51.16	44	143	114
83	Bakersfield, CA	51.07	78	78	90
84	Overland Park, KS	50.96	76	125	81
85	Toledo, OH	50.84	41	145	112
86	Akron, OH	50.73	55	148	91
87	Billings, MT	50.58	46	118	116
88	Des Moines, IA	50.57	53	106	108
89	Tucson, AZ	50.50	21	61	148
90	Fort Worth, TX	50.21	95	75	86
91	Chula Vista, CA	50.20	135	77	35
92	Baton Rouge, LA	49.80	82	62	107
93	Henderson, NV	49.63	30	102	138
94	Little Rock, AR	49.43	69	113	106
95	Santa Ana, CA	49.38	142	37	55
96	Minneapolis, MN	49.00	116	45	92
97	Pembroke Pines, FL	48.81	91	103	98
98	Montgomery, AL	48.67	33	161	127
99	San Antonio, TX	48.58	112	50	96
100	Fremont, CA	48.52	179	54	14
101	Anaheim, CA	48.45	148	25	55
102	Pearl City, HI	48.11	181	180	1
103	Oceanside, CA	47.93	147	68	35
104	Columbia, MD	47.83	166	150	18
105	Dover, DE	47.74	119	166	68
106	Fargo, ND	47.65	38	140	144
107	Nampa, ID	47.34	22	170	135
108	Tempe, AZ	47.23	54	35	161
109	New Orleans, LA	47.17	100	52	122
110	Indianapolis, IN	47.16	71	79	126
111	Corpus Christi, TX	47.15	43	141	145
T-112	Miami, FL	47.08	67	1	175
T-112	Buffalo, NY	47.08	123	71	94
114	Irvine, CA	46.87	158	31	55
115	Fort Wayne, IN	46.86	47	127	137
116	Augusta, GA	46.85	23	132	152
117	Irving, TX	46.80	102	111	111
118	Rochester, NY	46.53	146	57	60
119	Nashville, TN	46.19	85	42	146
120	Huntington Beach, CA	45.94	159	33	55
121	Omaha, NE	45.91	90	92	124
122	Aurora, CO	45.82	139	98	67
123	Rapid City, SD	45.57	20	156	160
124	Garden Grove, CA	45.33	152	66	55
125	Glendale, AZ	45.21	28	134	161
126	Detroit, MI	45.18	79	97	136
127	Anchorage, AK	45.08	150	144	42
128	Garland, TX	44.84	128	153	85
129	Chicago, IL	44.81	117	30	143
130	Arlington, TX	44.79	107	114	119
131	Gilbert, AZ	44.64	36	116	161
132	Casper, WY	44.63	88	160	125
133	Washington, DC	44.59	170	27	52
134	West Valley City, UT	44.42	104	176	102
135	Stockton, CA	44.26	129	138	95
136	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	43.65	111	64	128
137	Cedar Rapids, IA	43.51	130	133	104
138	Chandler, AZ	43.33	58	107	161
139	Modesto, CA	43.05	113	85	132
140	Fort Smith, AR	43.02	50	177	159
141	St. Paul, MN	42.97	136	82	105
142	Brownsville, TX	42.69	11	181	172
143	Baltimore, MD	42.59	157	63	75
144	Riverside, CA	42.57	126	40	141
145	Phoenix, AZ	42.49	83	76	161
146	Shreveport, LA	42.23	29	151	170
147	Mesa, AZ	41.67	73	105	161
148	Aurora, IL	41.50	141	117	109
149	Los Angeles, CA	41.45	144	7	154
150	Oxnard, CA	41.43	168	122	43
151	Milwaukee, WI	41.42	125	90	134
152	Scottsdale, AZ	41.27	121	36	161
153	El Paso, TX	41.22	3	115	182
154	San Bernardino, CA	41.10	118	137	128
155	Glendale, CA	40.91	131	14	154
156	Grand Prairie, TX	40.07	132	173	115
157	Manchester, NH	39.87	163	159	65
158	Fontana, CA	38.76	133	123	128
159	Philadelphia, PA	38.57	153	53	123
160	Hialeah, FL	38.29	52	69	175
161	Laredo, TX	38.22	4	169	180
162	Nashua, NH	38.16	175	163	65
163	Wilmington, DE	37.80	180	39	72
164	Long Beach, CA	37.74	148	23	154
165	Amarillo, TX	37.69	8	164	179
166	Ontario, CA	37.59	145	101	128
167	Peoria, AZ	37.38	109	171	158
168	Sioux Falls, SD	36.86	62	162	174
169	Moreno Valley, CA	36.67	140	147	141
170	Lubbock, TX	36.50	16	129	181
171	Warwick, RI	34.44	177	155	120
172	Santa Clarita, CA	34.27	151	59	154
173	Bismarck, ND	33.57	60	157	178
174	New Haven, CT	33.08	155	136	147
175	Worcester, MA	32.12	154	158	151
176	New York, NY	31.79	174	18	169
177	Boston, MA	31.78	169	41	153
178	Bridgeport, CT	29.20	167	168	149
179	Yonkers, NY	28.24	182	12	168
180	Newark, NJ	25.93	173	100	171
181	Jersey City, NJ	24.08	178	54	173
182	Providence, RI	22.09	160	120	177

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

artwork 2021s best and worst cities to get married

Ask the Experts

Marriage is not only a big life decision, but it also can be a hefty financial commitment, because how much money you have usually determines the extravagance and location of the wedding. But some couples have far fewer resources to spend on their special day. For advice on such matters and how to boost the local economy through the wedding business, we turned to a panel of experts in family studies, personal finance and local administration. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

What factors should couples consider when setting a budget for their wedding?
How should a couple decide where to get married?
What tips do you have for a couple planning a wedding and hoping to stay on budget?
What will it take to get venues and bridal shops back on track in 2021?
Weddings can often be an economic boost to local businesses. What can local authorities do to encourage weddings in their communities?

Nikki Ewrin

Nikki Erwin LMFT – MFT Assistant Clinical Director, Lead Professor of Marriage and Family Ministry at LEC – Campbellsville University/ Louisville South Center

I strongly urge couples to seek pre-marital counseling. I use the Prepare-Enrich inventory and teaching materials with these couples. It does factor in the financial, including wedding expenses and stress. This pre-marital approach has solid research over 50K plus couples for decades. It has been proven that the divorce rate for couples who complete the course have a 50% reduction in divorce rates over the general population. It deals with compatibility, communication, roles, sex, conflict, and family of origin factors.

I encourage couples to decide together on what they want for their wedding and to set boundaries with family members who try to make it their wedding instead of the couple. The family has the experience for the moment, but the couple makes memories for a lifetime.

Bottom line, couples should put more time and energy into the relationship than they do planning the wedding. The investment should be in the connection and the wedding should be a celebration of that.

Methodology

In order to identify the best and worst cities in which to tie the knot, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Costs, 2) Facilities & Services and 3) Safety.

We examined those dimensions using 20 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for weddings. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Costs – Total Points: 40

Average Wedding Cost: Triple Weight (~24.00 Points)
Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
Note: “Restaurant Meal” refers to a three-course meal for two.
Prevalence of Affordable Wedding Logistics: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the prevalence of affordable restaurants and wedding venues with ratings of at least 4.5 stars.

Facilities & Services – Total Points: 20

Wedding Chapels & Churches per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Venues & Event Spaces per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Party-Equipment Rentals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Photo Booth Rentals per Capita*: Half Weight (~0.65 Points)
Event Planners per Capita: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Videographers & Photographers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Musicians & DJs per Capita: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Makeup Artists & Hair Salons per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Bridal Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Flower & Gift Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Catering Companies per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Availability of Highly-Rated Takeout or Delivery Food: Double Weight (~2.58 Points)
Note: This is a composite metric which includes delivery and takeout restaurant options rated 4 stars or higher.
Bartenders per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Floral Designers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
Cake Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)

Safety – Total Points: 40

Average COVID-19 Deaths in the Past Week per Capita: Double Weight (~20.00 Points)
Average COVID-19 Cases in the Past Week per Capita: Double Weight (~20.00 Points)