Couples spent an average of $5,855 on their engagement ring in 2014, up from $5,598 in 2013, according to The Knot 2014 Real Weddings Survey.  

The annual survey asked 16,000 people married in 2014 to detail the costs of their weddings.

The survey also detailed the top wedding trends. One big one: The integration of smartphones into the planning process. “Perhaps the biggest change we’ve seen is in the amount of brides using their mobile phone to plan their wedding—it has doubled in just three years,” said Dolgin. Also important: Personalization continued to rule, with couples opting to spend more on details. 

“While wedding budgets continue to rise, with the national average at $31,213, guest lists are shrinking. The average wedding now has 136 guests, down from 149 in 2009,” said Rebecca Dolgin, editor-in-chief of The Knot. “Couples are focusing on creating an amazing guest experience and reception details, including finding unique venues to reflect their personality.” 

Notable statistics from the survey:

• Average Wedding Cost: $31,213 (excludes honeymoon)
• Most Expensive Place to Get Married: Manhattan, $76,328 average spend
• Least Expensive Place to Get Married: Utah, $15,257 average spend
• Average Spent on a Wedding Dress: $1,357
• Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29; Groom, 31
• Average Number of Guests: 136
• Average Number of Bridesmaids: 4 to 5
• Average Number of Groomsmen: 4 to 5
• Most Popular Month to Get Engaged: December (16%)
• Average Length of Engagement: 14 months
• Most Popular Month to Get Married: June (15%) followed by October (14%)
• Popular Wedding Colors: Ivory/White (44%), Blue (37%), Pink (28%), Metallics (26%), Purple (23%)
• Dark blue specifically has continued to grow every year, from 10% in 2008 to 24% in 2014
• Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24% 

Average budget breakdown:

The full study is available here. 

JCK