Ten U.S. wedding regions where typical budgets range from $18,000 to $44,000, ranked by affordability score.
All ten score 7.6 to 8.0 out of 10 on affordability, with typical budgets from $18,000 to $30,000 in Albuquerque up to $26,000 to $44,000 in Omaha. This list is ranked by affordability first, so the focus is not on the most famous destinations or the most dramatic scenery, but on places where venue fees, guest lodging, vendor costs, and overall planning expenses tend to be more manageable.
The ten at a glance
Affordability score out of 10
- 01
Des MoinesIowa · $32,0008.0
- 02
Oklahoma CityOklahoma · $27,0008.0
- 03
OmahaNebraska · $35,0008.0
- 04
Ozarks / BransonMissouri · $31,0008.0
- 05
TulsaOklahoma · $26,0008.0
- 06
El Paso / West TexasTexas · $29,0007.8
- 07
WacoTexas · $30,0007.8
- 08
AlbuquerqueNew Mexico · $24,0007.6
- 09
BirminghamAlabama · $26,0007.6
- 10
Black Hills / Rapid CitySouth Dakota · $34,0007.6
8.0/10 · AffordabilityNo. 1 · Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
- Typical wedding
- $32,000
- Weddings a year
- 7,500+
- Rainfall
- 35 in a year
- Setting
- City
Why it made the list
Among the most affordable major-metro wedding markets in America.
Weather and season
Hot humid summers and cold winters; late spring through early fall is prime.
Des Moines has a typical wedding budget of $24,000 to $40,000 and a downtown skywalk system that links a large share of its hotels and venues, so guests can move between hotel, ceremony and dinner without going outside. The whole wedding map fits inside about fifteen minutes of driving.
The venues: downtown hotels and restored historic halls, historic houses in Sherman Hill and South of Grand, garden and arboretum ceremonies, and barns, lodges and wineries from the edge of the city to about 30 minutes west.
Two dates reprice the weekend: the Iowa State Fair fills every hotel room in Polk County for eleven days each August, and the Drake Relays take a weekend in late April. Iowa also requires three business days between license application and issuance.
Where the savings show up
Downtown hotel rooms run about $130 to $230 a night.
A guest flying in spends roughly $550 to $1,000 on a two night weekend, and a guest driving $300 to $580.
Omaha is two hours away by car and Kansas City three, so much of a regional guest list can drive.
Rideshare is cheap, and transportation stays simple if guests are near downtown.
Best wedding format
A 90 to 140 guest Saturday wedding in mid September, with one ceremony site, one reception site, and a small Friday welcome gathering in the East Village.
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8.0/10 · AffordabilityNo. 2 · Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Typical wedding
- $27,000
- Weddings a year
- 11,000+
- Rainfall
- 37 in a year
- Setting
- City
Why it made the list
One of the most affordable major-metro markets.
Weather and season
Hot summers and tornado season in spring; fall is prime.
Oklahoma City hosts about 11,000 weddings a year at a typical $20,000 to $33,000. Its downtown, rebuilt over two decades, is walkable, and a streetcar loops Bricktown, Midtown and Automobile Alley.
The venues: historic downtown hotels, an art museum, gardens and conservatories, converted industrial buildings in Midtown and Film Row, private clubs and historic houses, and ranch and prairie properties 20 to 40 minutes out.
Where the savings show up
Downtown hotel rooms run about $130 to $230 a night, well below the national average for comparable quality.
Parking is easy and cheap everywhere in the city.
The Women’s College World Series in early June is the one week that breaks hotel rates. The 2027 tournament runs June 3 to 10.
Four hours of premarital counseling cuts the Oklahoma County marriage license from $50 to $5.
Best wedding format
A 125 to 175 guest wedding in the first three weeks of October, with a single reception venue, local catering, late night snacks, and no complex shuttle plan.
Avoid
Outdoor ceremonies without a serious weather backup. Central Oklahoma’s tornado season runs March through May, and the backup should be a building, not a tent.
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8.0/10 · AffordabilityNo. 3 · Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
- Typical wedding
- $35,000
- Weddings a year
- 7,500+
- Rainfall
- 24 in a year
- Setting
- City
Why it made the list
Strong value market.
Weather and season
Hot summers and cold winters; late spring through early fall is prime.
Omaha’s typical wedding runs $26,000 to $44,000, and Eppley Airfield is about ten minutes from the Old Market, so a guest landing at six can be at the rehearsal dinner by seven. The venues: restored warehouses and hotel ballrooms in and around the Old Market, art deco museums, a botanical garden, a riverfront park, and restored dairy barns on the edge of town.
The Old Market is eight blocks of 19th century brick warehouses on cobbled streets, with hotels, restaurants and bars inside it, so guests can park once and walk all weekend. Warn anyone in heels about the cobbles, and skip a quiet outdoor ceremony there, since Friday and Saturday nights are busy and loud.
Where the savings show up
Old Market hotel rooms run about $140 to $250 a night outside June.
Guests driving in from Des Moines, two hours away, or Kansas City, three, spend about $320 to $620 for the weekend.
December through February brings substantially lower hotel rates, and the museum and hotel venues handle winter weddings indoors.
Best wedding format
A September weekend: a Friday welcome dinner in the Old Market, Saturday ceremony and reception downtown, and Sunday brunch at the hotel or nearby restaurant.
Avoid
Mid to late June. The Men’s College World Series runs downtown for eleven days, June 18 to 28 in 2027, and downtown rooms run two to three times normal with minimum stays.
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8.0/10 · AffordabilityNo. 4 · Missouri
Ozarks and Branson, Missouri
- Typical wedding
- $31,000
- Weddings a year
- 5,000+
- Rainfall
- 42 in a year
- Setting
- Mountain · Forest
Why it made the list
Among the most affordable lake-and-mountain markets.
Weather and season
Mild long seasons; humid summers.
The Ozarks and Branson host about 5,000 weddings a year, at a typical $23,000 to $38,000, built around Table Rock Lake, wooded ridges, lake resorts and cabins.
Branson’s strip has more hotel rooms than almost any town its size, while the resorts on the Table Rock bluffs, 15 to 25 minutes away, price at two to three times the strip. A large guest list on a tight budget can marry on the bluffs and sleep on the strip. Cabins and lake houses around Table Rock suit families traveling together.
Where the savings show up
Branson hotel rooms run about $75 to $250 a night, depending on season and property.
Resort and cabin venues can package several wedding needs together.
Guests who drive in and share a cabin can do the weekend for $250 to $500.
Best wedding format
A Friday lakeside welcome party, Saturday wooded or lakefront ceremony, tented or lodge reception, and casual Sunday breakfast, ideally in mid October or the last week of May.
Avoid
Tight transport timing on Highway 76. Branson’s strip backs up badly on summer and October evenings, so build a generous buffer into every drive.
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8.0/10 · AffordabilityNo. 5 · Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Typical wedding
- $26,000
- Weddings a year
- 8,000+
- Rainfall
- 37 in a year
- Setting
- Countryside
Why it made the list
Strong value market.
Weather and season
Hot summers and tornado risk; fall is prime.
Tulsa has the lowest typical wedding budget in this top five, and the best art deco building stock of any city its size, built on 1920s oil money.
The venues: restored 1920s hotels and mansions downtown, museum gardens, and ranch properties outside the city, a few with lodging on site. Book early for October, since the city’s best photographers and florists book 12 to 18 months ahead for autumn Saturdays.
Where the savings show up
A typical wedding runs $19,000 to $32,000, against $24,000 to $40,000 in Dallas, $26,000 to $43,000 in Austin, and $32,000 to $54,000 in Chicago.
Downtown hotel rooms run about $130 to $240 a night.
Guests flying in can often save a hundred dollars or more by landing in Oklahoma City, ninety minutes away.
Tulsa County’s $50 marriage license drops to $5 with a four hour premarital counseling certificate.
Best wedding format
A downtown ceremony or museum garden ceremony followed by a reception in a historic or industrial space, in the first half of October or the first two weeks of May.
Avoid
Afternoon ceremonies from June through August. Highs run in the mid nineties, and the Arkansas River valley holds the heat.
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7.8/10 · AffordabilityNo. 6 · Texas
El Paso and West Texas
- Typical wedding
- $29,000
- Weddings a year
- 9,000+
- Rainfall
- 29 in a year
- Setting
- Desert
Why it made the list
Among the most affordable Texas markets.
Weather and season
Long mild season with very dry climate; summer can be quite hot.
El Paso hosts about 9,000 weddings a year at a typical $21,000 to $36,000, below Dallas, Houston and Austin. The Franklin Mountains rise over the city, and the airport is about 15 minutes from downtown.
The venues: historic hotels downtown, canyon and state park sites in the Franklin Mountains, desert gardens, and the Mission Trail churches southeast of the city, among the oldest continuously active churches in the United States. Venues just over the New Mexico line use a New Mexico license, with no waiting period and a lower fee.
Where the savings show up
Lodging and dining are among the cheapest in Texas, so a guest weekend runs about $700 to $1,400, with $300 to $600 of that in airfare.
An eight hour Twogether in Texas course, about $20 online, takes up to $60 off the marriage license and waives the 72 hour waiting period.
Best wedding format
A late October wedding: late afternoon ceremony, cocktail hour during golden light, courtyard dinner, and dance floor after sunset.
Avoid
Midday outdoor ceremonies. From June through August an outdoor ceremony needs a seven o’clock start, and July through September monsoon storms can flash flood canyon roads.
7.8/10 · AffordabilityNo. 7 · Texas
Waco, Texas
- Typical wedding
- $30,000
- Weddings a year
- 6,000+
- Rainfall
- 29 in a year
- Setting
- Countryside
Why it made the list
Among the most affordable Texas markets.
Weather and season
Hot summers and mild winters; spring and fall are prime.
Waco hosts about 6,000 weddings a year at a typical $22,000 to $38,000, against $26,000 to $43,000 in Austin. It sits halfway between Dallas and Austin on I-35, so a large share of a Texas guest list can drive.
The venues: boutique hotels and ballrooms downtown, historic churches around Baylor, park and garden sites along the Brazos, and ranches 20 to 30 minutes out. With the hotel block and the venue both downtown, guests can walk the whole weekend.
Where the savings show up
June through September is the cheapest season, and venues will negotiate.
A guest weekend typically runs $500 to $1,100.
December through February, downtown hotels drop their rates.
Best wedding format
A chapel ceremony, garden cocktail hour, and reception at one nearby venue to avoid unnecessary transportation, in the second half of October.
Avoid
Baylor home football weekends, graduation and move in. All three fill downtown hotels and push rates up sharply.
7.6/10 · AffordabilityNo. 8 · New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Typical wedding
- $24,000
- Weddings a year
- 5,000+
- Rainfall
- 14 in a year
- Setting
- City
Why it made the list
One of the most affordable Southwest markets.
Weather and season
Long mild seasons; spring winds and summer monsoons require some planning.
Albuquerque has the lowest typical wedding budget on this list, $18,000 to $30,000, against $20,000 to $33,000 in Santa Fe. Its airport has solid regional service, where Santa Fe’s is limited.
The venues: Old Town courtyards and historic churches, adobe estates under the cottonwoods in the North Valley and Los Ranchos, Sandia foothills sites with mountain views, and restaurants and breweries in Nob Hill. Spring winds and summer monsoon storms both need a backup plan, and adobe and historic venues can have strict setup rules.
Where the savings show up
Hotel inventory is solid and rates are favorable outside Balloon Fiesta.
Guests land in the city they are staying in, rather than an hour away as in Santa Fe.
Best wedding format
A courtyard ceremony, cocktail hour with mountain views, New Mexican dinner, and reception under market lights, in late September or early November.
Avoid
Booking during major local event periods without checking hotel rates first. Balloon Fiesta in October is one of the hardest times of year for hotel rates and availability.
7.6/10 · AffordabilityNo. 9 · Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
- Typical wedding
- $26,000
- Weddings a year
- 12,000+
- Rainfall
- 56 in a year
- Setting
- City
Why it made the list
One of the most affordable major Southern metros.
Weather and season
Hot humid summers and mild winters; spring and fall are prime.
Birmingham hosts about 12,000 weddings a year, the most on this list, at a typical $20,000 to $32,000, against $26,000 to $43,000 in Charleston. Its airport has solid regional service.
This city works for converted industrial buildings from its iron and steel era, Mountain Brook country clubs, historic estates, downtown hotels, garden ceremonies, and museum spaces. Downtown and Mountain Brook make very different weekends, so base guests near whichever one the venue is in.
Where the savings show up
Downtown has solid hotel inventory at favorable rates.
Guests from Atlanta, Nashville and Memphis can drive in.
Best wedding format
A garden or historic ceremony followed by a downtown reception with a seated dinner, strong bar, and live band, in April or October.
Avoid
Planning an outdoor summer wedding without shade, fans, hydration, and a heat realistic timeline. College football weekends also push up hotel demand, so check the schedule before booking a fall block.
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7.6/10 · AffordabilityNo. 10 · South Dakota
Black Hills and Rapid City, South Dakota
- Typical wedding
- $34,000
- Weddings a year
- 2,500+
- Rainfall
- 20 in a year
- Setting
- City
Why it made the list
Affordable wilderness market.
Weather and season
Cold winters; summer-fall is prime.
The Black Hills host about 2,500 weddings a year, the fewest on this list, at a typical $25,000 to $42,000, against $34,000 to $56,000 in Jackson Hole. Mount Rushmore, Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon are all within about 45 minutes of Rapid City.
The catch is logistics. Rapid City Regional has nonstops to about ten cities, so most guests connect, usually through Denver. The local vendor scene is modest, and many vendors travel in from Denver. Lodging tightens through July, the peak of the summer holiday season. Expect 25 to 35 percent of invitations to decline, because almost nobody can drive here in an afternoon.
Where the savings show up
Rooms in Rapid City and Deadwood run about $160 to $300 a night outside Sturgis week.
Deadwood packs hotels, restaurants and entertainment into about six walkable blocks, so guests based there need no car after they arrive.
South Dakota’s marriage license costs $40, with no waiting period.
Best wedding format
A 40 to 100 guest lodge wedding in the first three weeks of September, with a welcome gathering, outdoor ceremony, seated dinner, and simple shuttle plan if alcohol and rural roads are involved.
Avoid
Early August unless the couple has confirmed lodging, traffic, room blocks, and event conflicts. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally brings roughly 500,000 people for ten days from the first Friday in August, August 6 to 15 in 2027, and rooms across the region run two to three times normal.
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Side by side
How the ten compare
Every score is out of 10. The highlighted column is the one this list ranks on.
| Destination | Affordability | Weather | Guest travel | Scenery | Venue options | Lodging | Logistics | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Des Moines | 8.0 | 5.0 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 67.1 |
| 02Oklahoma City | 8.0 | 5.4 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 67.1 |
| 03Omaha | 8.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 67.2 |
| 04Ozarks / Branson | 8.0 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 68.1 |
| 05Tulsa | 8.0 | 5.4 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 68.1 |
| 06El Paso / West Texas | 7.8 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 68.1 |
| 07Waco | 7.8 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 67.4 |
| 08Albuquerque | 7.6 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 71.7 |
| 09Birmingham | 7.6 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 70.1 |
| 10Black Hills / Rapid City | 7.6 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 9.0 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 7.8 | 64.5 |