Average Cost Of Wedding Hits $30,000

BOSTON (CBS) - For most of the United States, June is the most popular month in which to get married.

But as WBZ's Jeff Brown reports, getting married these days is big business and a big expense.

The average cost of a wedding is about $30,000 give or take.

And it all starts with the ring. A new Country Financial survey finds more than half the guys are willing to buy a used ring.

Troy Freyricks of Country Financial says what's surprising is that the bride's OK with that.

"Almost three quarters of the women out there said they would be accepting of a used engagement ring," Freyricks said.

But regardless how much the ring costs, there are still boundaries.

"In general, about one month take-home seems reasonable," Freyricks said. "Only four percent of people surveyed said spending more than three months take-home pay is acceptable.

It used to be, the cost of the entire wedding was on the bride's parents. But today, the survey says the couple and both sets of parents are helping out.

"Only 11% of the people polled said the bride's family should foot the bill," Freyricks said.

Because at $30,000 average, marriage and money problems go hand in hand.

"Most people surveyed thought, six out of ten people said; it's totally unacceptable for a couple to go into debt for the sake of their wedding," Freyricks said.

And if couples watch the dollars before tying the knot, when the honeymoon is over:

"Married couples seem to handle financial topics, or situations, better than singles," Freyricks said.

Why? Research shows each keeps an eye on the other's spending habits.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jeff Brown Reports