Best Places to Get Married (2026)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterFeb 3, 2026

Best Places to Get Married

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Anyone who’s ever organized a wedding knows all too well how difficult and time-consuming the process can be. It’s the reason many couples hire professional event planners to do the heavy lifting. And the cost only adds more stress, with the average couple shelling out around $33,000 for their big day.

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 in 2024 was worth nearly $63.3 billion, down quite a bit from $78 billion a few years earlier.

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 26 key indicators of wedding-friendliness, ranging from average wedding cost to venues and event spaces per capita to hotel availability.

Top 5 Places to Get Married

Las Vegas
Orlando
Miami
Atlanta
Tampa

“When weddings can cost tens of thousands of dollars and prices have only become even more outrageously inflated in recent years, it pays to hold your wedding in a city that’s affordable, both for those paying for the wedding and for guests who will need to make accommodations. Certain cities also make wedding planning easier with an abundance of options for wedding essentials, from florists to videographers to venues. The more options a city has, the more likely you are to receive competitive pricing and to find places that can work with your optimal schedule.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Places to Get Married in the U.S.

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Costs Rank	Facilities & Services Rank	Activities & Attractions Rank
1	Las Vegas, NV	80.71	40	3	2
2	Orlando, FL	79.97	38	2	5
3	Miami, FL	79.05	52	1	7
4	Atlanta, GA	74.32	69	4	12
5	Tampa, FL	69.43	57	7	13
6	Austin, TX	69.29	43	10	14
7	Houston, TX	67.87	64	18	8
8	Fort Lauderdale, FL	66.54	73	6	27
9	San Diego, CA	65.23	151	8	3
10	Los Angeles, CA	65.03	148	15	1
11	New Orleans, LA	64.32	72	29	15
12	Phoenix, AZ	64.25	75	22	19
13	Dallas, TX	63.68	66	16	25
14	Chicago, IL	63.12	113	27	9
15	San Francisco, CA	63.08	177	5	4
16	St. Louis, MO	62.97	68	12	30
17	Cincinnati, OH	62.84	24	28	31
18	Nashville, TN	61.73	44	30	29
19	Denver, CO	61.39	122	14	20
20	San Antonio, TX	61.32	70	37	22
21	Scottsdale, AZ	61.29	87	24	23
22	Tucson, AZ	60.31	41	55	21
23	Portland, OR	59.38	131	26	16
24	Pittsburgh, PA	59.17	58	31	34
25	Charlotte, NC	59.00	63	32	33
26	Columbia, SC	58.96	27	34	54
27	Tulsa, OK	58.65	6	88	40
28	Sacramento, CA	58.37	147	9	24
29	Seattle, WA	58.17	160	19	11
30	Salt Lake City, UT	57.50	114	13	35
31	Washington, DC	57.19	152	21	18
32	El Paso, TX	56.94	9	100	46
33	Richmond, VA	56.37	84	20	55
34	Albuquerque, NM	55.55	26	94	32
35	Knoxville, TN	55.42	19	53	65
36	Philadelphia, PA	55.28	135	50	17
37	New York, NY	55.05	168	44	6
38	Birmingham, AL	54.94	15	48	79
39	Indianapolis, IN	54.61	54	56	48
40	Oklahoma City, OK	54.60	30	80	42
41	Kansas City, MO	54.56	50	57	49
42	Honolulu, HI	54.45	179	23	10
43	Charleston, SC	54.29	136	35	28
44	Fort Worth, TX	53.83	65	61	44
45	St. Petersburg, FL	53.33	47	82	43
46	Chattanooga, TN	53.16	12	72	72
47	Raleigh, NC	53.03	82	46	57
48	Jacksonville, FL	52.82	92	51	47
49	Tempe, AZ	52.41	90	47	56
50	Minneapolis, MN	52.39	97	59	36
51	Reno, NV	52.30	98	58	38
52	Memphis, TN	52.25	22	65	74
53	Baton Rouge, LA	51.96	33	60	70
54	Milwaukee, WI	51.76	71	87	45
55	Columbus, OH	51.72	77	69	53
56	Greensboro, NC	51.67	17	78	80
57	Long Beach, CA	51.66	137	36	37
58	Detroit, MI	51.36	53	64	62
59	Cleveland, OH	50.87	86	54	60
60	Springfield, MO	50.73	8	110	83
61	Grand Rapids, MI	50.71	35	62	75
62	Colorado Springs, CO	50.64	105	70	39
63	Bakersfield, CA	50.19	78	75	59
64	Fresno, CA	50.10	46	68	68
65	Louisville, KY	49.67	100	74	50
66	Anaheim, CA	49.66	161	25	41
67	Mobile, AL	49.44	16	101	94
68	Omaha, NE	49.30	74	99	58
69	Boston, MA	49.17	172	38	26
70	Baltimore, MD	49.10	134	45	52
71	North Las Vegas, NV	49.07	61	39	113
72	Shreveport, LA	48.76	2	130	123
73	Boise, ID	48.75	51	104	63
74	Lubbock, TX	48.62	10	124	116
75	Wichita, KS	48.45	11	129	88
76	Las Cruces, NM	48.11	4	171	108
77	Fayetteville, NC	46.91	13	115	119
78	Glendale, CA	46.63	146	11	115
79	Amarillo, TX	46.19	25	136	84
80	Mesa, AZ	46.19	55	105	76
81	Durham, NC	46.08	60	89	104
82	Plano, TX	46.03	85	86	86
83	Henderson, NV	46.02	81	116	64
84	Rochester, NY	45.86	110	63	77
85	Charleston, WV	45.65	5	137	156
86	Virginia Beach, VA	45.63	111	84	66
87	Montgomery, AL	45.62	14	113	129
88	Riverside, CA	45.36	126	42	97
89	San Jose, CA	45.16	176	33	51
90	Arlington, TX	45.12	88	95	82
91	Winston-Salem, NC	44.88	37	119	105
92	Augusta, GA	44.82	18	131	122
93	Chandler, AZ	44.51	45	120	89
94	Glendale, AZ	44.49	31	134	99
95	Buffalo, NY	44.47	112	90	71
96	Lexington-Fayette, KY	44.32	49	133	92
97	Fort Smith, AR	43.82	7	177	144
98	Spokane, WA	43.71	104	107	73
99	Laredo, TX	43.71	3	179	152
100	Corpus Christi, TX	43.62	59	144	90
101	Modesto, CA	43.48	109	92	85
102	Rapid City, SD	43.40	48	139	109
103	Overland Park, KS	43.36	62	127	110
104	Madison, WI	43.18	107	125	69
105	Wilmington, DE	43.06	139	52	87
106	St. Paul, MN	42.99	95	106	96
107	Little Rock, AR	42.99	32	112	142
108	Lincoln, NE	42.72	91	142	81
109	Huntsville, AL	42.62	79	132	103
110	Jackson, MS	42.51	42	126	128
111	Brownsville, TX	42.39	1	181	169
112	Fargo, ND	42.02	28	149	125
113	Toledo, OH	41.94	21	148	147
114	Akron, OH	41.79	29	123	151
115	Fort Wayne, IN	41.68	23	135	153
116	Gulfport, MS	41.62	20	169	130
117	Irvine, CA	41.58	159	40	111
118	Tallahassee, FL	41.43	125	108	78
119	Vancouver, WA	41.36	138	66	93
120	Santa Ana, CA	40.96	161	43	106
121	Cape Coral, FL	40.88	67	168	95
122	Pembroke Pines, FL	40.76	80	109	136
123	Billings, MT	40.72	76	157	114
124	Columbus, GA	40.66	39	153	141
125	Irving, TX	40.21	103	98	133
126	Hialeah, FL	40.14	101	83	150
127	Oakland, CA	39.91	180	41	61
128	Missoula, MT	39.78	99	128	118
129	Gilbert, AZ	39.75	56	138	143
130	Huntington Beach, CA	39.68	165	49	98
131	Cedar Rapids, IA	39.63	34	162	146
132	Aurora, CO	39.63	124	96	120
133	Portland, ME	39.45	145	118	67
134	Ontario, CA	39.43	123	73	138
135	Garland, TX	39.32	36	160	145
136	Norfolk, VA	39.10	129	114	107
137	Stockton, CA	39.08	128	117	100
138	Des Moines, IA	38.70	89	140	127
139	Santa Rosa, CA	37.97	163	67	112
140	Sioux Falls, SD	37.96	108	161	117
141	Garden Grove, CA	37.78	153	91	102
142	Fontana, CA	37.67	115	103	154
143	Casper, WY	37.54	93	173	139
144	San Bernardino, CA	37.02	133	97	126
145	Tacoma, WA	37.00	154	77	121
146	Providence, RI	36.74	150	111	101
147	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	36.53	119	93	164
148	Oceanside, CA	36.19	158	71	124
149	Chesapeake, VA	35.89	120	152	135
150	Jersey City, NJ	35.63	156	79	131
150	Dover, DE	35.63	83	145	172
152	Grand Prairie, TX	35.24	102	155	160
153	Port St. Lucie, FL	35.01	94	159	173
154	Peoria, AZ	34.83	116	163	134
155	Newark, NJ	34.69	144	102	140
156	Nampa, ID	34.36	106	170	162
157	Salem, OR	34.11	132	151	132
158	Anchorage, AK	33.81	164	143	91
159	Chula Vista, CA	33.13	157	85	161
160	Santa Clarita, CA	33.10	155	81	166
161	Bismarck, ND	32.67	117	174	165
162	Aurora, IL	32.47	121	156	176
163	Newport News, VA	32.42	142	154	137
164	Cheyenne, WY	32.14	118	172	171
165	New Haven, CT	31.96	127	165	158
166	Yonkers, NY	31.80	178	17	182
167	Columbia, MD	31.79	149	146	149
168	Huntington, WV	31.38	96	180	177
169	Fremont, CA	30.63	175	76	155
170	Moreno Valley, CA	30.41	141	121	170
171	Warwick, RI	30.30	140	147	174
172	Oxnard, CA	29.46	170	122	148
173	West Valley City, UT	29.35	130	175	168
174	Worcester, MA	29.03	143	158	175
175	Burlington, VT	28.22	167	150	157
176	Juneau, AK	25.51	169	176	163
177	Manchester, NH	25.26	173	167	159
178	Nashua, NH	24.76	174	164	167
179	South Burlington, VT	22.24	166	141	181
180	Lewiston, ME	20.89	171	182	179
181	Bridgeport, CT	20.04	181	166	180
182	Pearl City, HI	19.48	182	178	178

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.

Avg. Wedding Cost

Lowest

Lowest
1. Brownsville, TX
2. Fort Smith, AR
3. Laredo, TX
4. Shreveport, LA
5. Charleston, WV

Highest

Highest
T-178. Honolulu, HI
T-178. Pearl City, HI
T-180. San Francisco, CA
T-180. Oakland, CA
T-180. Fremont, CA

Wedding Chapels & Churches per Capita

Most

Most
1. Columbia, SC
2. Jackson, MS
3. Shreveport, LA
4. Knoxville, TN
5. Montgomery, AL

Fewest

Fewest
178. Burlington, VT
179. South Burlington, VT
180. Santa Clarita, CA
181. Pearl City, HI
182. West Valley City, UT

Event Planners per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Salt Lake City, UT
T-1. West Valley City, UT
T-1. Washington, DC
T-1. Denver, CO
T-1. Aurora, CO

Fewest

Fewest
174. Fort Smith, AR
175. Bakersfield, CA
176. Huntington, WV
177. Shreveport, LA
178. Baton Rouge, LA

Bridal Shops per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Los Angeles, CA
T-1. Houston, TX
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Atlanta, GA
T-1. Las Vegas, NV

Fewest

Fewest
175. Madison, WI
176. Durham, NC
177. Lewiston, ME
178. Nampa, ID
179. Bridgeport, CT

Flower Shops per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Honolulu, HI
T-1. St. Louis, MO
4. Pittsburgh, PA
5. Miami, FL

Fewest

Fewest
178. Grand Prairie, TX
179. Pearl City, HI
180. Lewiston, ME
181. Peoria, AZ
182. West Valley City, UT

Attractions

Most

Most
T-1. New York, NY
T-1. Chicago, IL
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Los Angeles, CA
T-1. San Francisco, CA

Fewest

Fewest
T-177. Moreno Valley, CA
T-177. Lewiston, ME
179. Fontana, CA
180. West Valley City, UT
181. South Burlington, VT
182. Pearl City, HI

WalletHub Weather Ranking

Best

Best
1. Glendale, CA
2. Riverside, CA
3. Bakersfield, CA
4. Scottsdale, AZ
5. Henderson, NV

Worst

Worst
T-178. Providence, RI
T-178. Warwick, RI
180. Rochester, NY
181. Buffalo, NY
182. Juneau, AK

In-Depth Look at the Best Places to Get Married

Las Vegas, NV

You probably know of Las Vegas as the city to get married in if you want an Elvis lookalike to perform the ceremony. As it turns out, though, Las Vegas is also the second-best city for getting married overall. It ranks at the top of the country when it comes to the number of wedding chapels, musicians, cake shops and photo booth rentals per capita, among other wedding essentials.

Las Vegas also ranks as the number one most fun city in America, which means that your wedding party and your guests can enjoy themselves before and after the ceremony. The city has an extremely high number of attractions and affordable restaurants rated 4.5 stars or higher.

Another thing to note is that while Las Vegas definitely isn’t the cheapest city for holding your wedding, it’s also not as expensive as you might think – the average cost of having a wedding is the 59th-cheapest out of the more than 180 cities in our study.

Orlando, FL

Orlando, FL, is the second-best city to get married in, largely due to the high availability of essential wedding services. For example, it ranks at the top of the nation when it comes to the number of venues, party equipment rentals, videographers, DJs and flower shops per capita. Being in a big city like Orlando can make the logistics of getting everything together much smoother – when one vendor is booked for a certain date or doesn’t meet the couple’s tastes, there’s always others to look at.

The second pillar of an ideal wedding is, of course, the guests. Orlando is a good place for out-of-town guests to stay in because it has an extremely high number of hotels per capita, and the lowest price for a 3-star hotel stay is just $52, one of the cheapest in the country. Plus, guests who want to stay for more than just the wedding can enjoy Orlando’s abundant attractions – it ranks second among the most fun cities and is the fifth-best city for foodies.

Miami, FL

Miami, FL, is the third-best city for getting married, and it’s perfect if you’re planning a beach wedding. Miami has an abundance of choices for wedding vendors, ranking especially high for things like the number of venues, party equipment rentals, makeup artists, bridal shops, bartenders and limousine services per capita.

If you’re looking for some gourmet cuisine to feed your wedding guests, Miami is an especially good spot, since it ranks as the top city for foodies in America. It’s in third place when it comes to the most fun cities, too.

In addition, staying in Miami is not too taxing on guests’ wallets. The lowest price for a 3-star hotel room is $60, the 15th-lowest in the country, and Miami has an abundance of affordable restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars.

Ask the Experts

Weddings are often a huge financial expense for the families involved. For more insight on the financial impact of getting married for couples and society as a whole, we turned to a panel of experts. 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 stick on a budget?
How has inflation impacted the wedding service industry?
Is economic stress reshaping marriage decisions among U.S. couples? How?
Weddings can often be an economic boost to local businesses. What measures can local authorities undertake in order to promote weddings in their respective communities?

Ask the Experts

Michael Oliver Weinberg
Adjunct Professor of Finance and Economics - Columbia Business School
Read More

Dawn O. Braithwaite
Willa Cather Professor of Communication Studies Emerita, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Read More

April Lancit
LMFT – Assistant Professor & Director of Marriage & Family Therapy Program, Department of Psychology - LA SALLE University, School of Arts & Science
Read More

Luke Erickson
Ph.D., AFC® – Personal Finance Extension Specialist, Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences; President – Idaho Financial Literacy Coalition – University of Idaho
Read More

Steven Harris
Professor, Couple and Family Therapy Specialization – University of Minnesota, College of Education & Human Development
Read More

Angela B. Bradford
Ph.D., LMFT – Associate Professor, Marriage and Family Therapy, School of Family Life – Brigham Young University
Read More

More Experts

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) Activities & Attractions.

We examined those dimensions using 26 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 (~20.00 Points)
Price of a Three-Star Hotel Room: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
Note: “Restaurant Meal” refers to a three-course meal for two.
Prevalence of Affordable Wedding Logistics: Full Weight (~6.67 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: 30

Wedding Chapels & Churches per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Venues & Event Spaces per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Party-Equipment Rentals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Photo Booth Rentals per Capita*: Half Weight (~0.91 Points)
Event Planners per Capita: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Videographers & Photographers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Musicians & DJs per Capita: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Makeup Artists & Hair Salons per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Bridal Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Flower & Gift Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Limousine Rentals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Hotels per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Catering Companies per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Bartenders per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Floral Designers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
Cake Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)

Activities & Attractions – Total Points: 30

Number of Attractions: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)
Popularity as a Travel Destination: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Foodie-Friendliness: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Foodie Cities” ranking.
Weather: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.
Amusement & Entertainment: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Most Fun Cities in America” ranking.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of January 6, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Wedding Report, Kayak.com, Numbeo, TripAdvisor, Travbuddy.com, Yelp and WalletHub research.

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