These Are the Best and Worst Cities to Have Your Wedding
Finding a wedding venue is a tricky business. On the one hand, the couple getting hitched should do whatever they want because it’s *their* day. But on the other hand, it’s important to consider how guests might feel about the location. Is it too expensive? Are there lots of hotel options? Does the town have enough entertainment? If you’re struggling to decide where to host your nuptials, this WalletHub study might help. The company recently compared 150 of the biggest cities in the US to find the cheapest and most convenient wedding locations for 2016. The research took into account 18 indicators such as the number of venues, attractions and event planners per capita, as well as the availability of hotels, the weather and the average wedding cost. And while it’s safe to assume most of us don’t want to spend as much as Kim and Kanye did for their big day, it turns out brides and grooms are spending more on weddings this year than in 2015.
Florida lovers will be happy to know that Orlando nabbed WalletHub’s No. 1 wedding spot with a “wedding cost” rank of 47 (out of 150), a “wedding facilities and services” rank of 1 and an “activities and attractions” rank of 4. The full top 10 list of best places to have a wedding includes:
1. Orlando, FL
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. Atlanta, GA
4. Tampa, FL
5. Springfield, MO
6. Cincinnati, OH
7. Salt Lake City, UT
8. Miami, FL
9. Boise, ID
10. Tucson, AZ
On the other end of the spectrum, Moreno Valley, CA came in dead last with a total score of 26.11. The city’s “wedding cost” rank is 135, its “wedding facilities and services” rank is 146 and its “activities and attractions” rank is 147. Here are the 10 worst places to have your wedding:
150. Moreno Valley, CA
149. Yonkers, NY
148. Newark, NJ
147. Worcester, MA
146. Anchorage, AK
145. Fontana, CA
144. Jersey City, NJ
143. Oxnard, CA
142. Fremont, CA
141. Boston, MA
140. Santa Clarita, CA
Getting into specific categories, you can’t go wrong with the Big Apple if you’re looking for entertainment value. New York landed the number one spot for the most activities and attractions, while Fontana, CA ranked the lowest.
Despite the often high cost of California wedding destinations, they might just make up for it with sunshine. WalletHub ranked Glendale, Riverside and Bakersfield all in the top three for best weather. But people in the Northeast may experience some rain clouds on their wedding day, with Buffalo, NY, Providence, RI and Boston, MA all ranking among in the five worst for weather.
Time to get cracking on that spreadsheet comparing your venue choices!
Where are you planning to have your wedding? Let us know @BritandCo.
(h/t WalletHub; photos via WalletHub + Getty)