This is an interesting article. It's tough to gauge a true "average" wedding costs in the US since costs, not just for weddings but for cost of living in general, vary so greatly state by state. There are certain states - NY, NJ, CT, CA to name a few, where $54K might be on the low side of an average wedding cost. And then there are some states where one might even be able to buy a home for that same $54k! Therefore, I think looking at average wedding costs in the US as a whole may not give you an accurate picture.