Two of the most expensive life events (a wedding and a down payment on a home) often combine in the same year when a couple says “I Do”. Redfin examined data to see which metropolitan areas had the lowest combined cost for an average wedding and the average purchase of a home in that area.
Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh are the most affordable places where couples can throw a wedding and also cover a down payment on their first home, in all three Midwestern metro areas, the average combined cost of a wedding and a down payment is less than $65,000, compared with the national average of more than $109,000.
San Francisco, where the typical wedding and down payment costs add up to $325,000, is the most expensive place to get married and buy a home, followed by Los Angeles($168,000) and New York($158,000).
To determine how much cash couples in different parts of the country would need on hand to throw a wedding and buy their first home, Redfin calculated down payment amounts in 25 metro areas, assuming a 20 percent down payment on the median list price as of April 2019. Redfin paired it with metro-level and national data on wedding costs from WeddingWire, which found the average cost of a wedding, including an engagement ring, ceremony and reception, and honeymoon to be $38,700 in 2018.