Getting married in 2024? Here are the top 5 places to tie the knot based on cost, services, and activities
WalletHub published a study on the best and worst places to get married this year in the US.
The company analyzed 182 cities for cost, facilities and services, and activities and attractions.
Orlando snagged the top spot.
Planning a wedding is a lot of pressure, but a new study attempts to cut through the noise.
Personal finance company WalletHub published a study last week titled "Best Places to Get Married in 2024." The study analyzed 182 American cities for costs, facilities and services, and activities and attractions. WalletHub examined those three categories using 26 specific metrics, including the price of a three-star hotel room and bridal shops per capita.
"A person's wedding day can be the happiest day of their life, but it can also be a financial nightmare with how expensive venues, food, and other essentials are," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Hope said. "Getting married in a city that minimizes cost while maximizing options is ideal."
Take a look to see if your city made the list.
5. Atlanta, Georgia.
Georgia's capital, The Big Peach, ranked No. 5 on WalletHub's list. Compared to other cities, research showed that Atlanta ranked No. 89 in cost and No. 12 in activities and attractions.
Its highest rating — facilities and services — came in at No. 3. Atlanta's total score is 67.24.
4. Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tulsa took fourth place on the list with an overall score of 67.44.
While Tulsa ranked second in affordable costs, it slid back to No. 41 for activities and attractions. The city's facilities and services faired worse at No. 93.
3. Miami, Florida.
Miami came in third. While the cost, ranked 83rd, is less than ideal, Miami scored first for facilities and services. It also ranked ninth for activities and attractions, gaining an overall score of 70.65.
WalletHub said Miami scored No. 3 partly because it's perfect for beach weddings.
"Like the other big cities at the top of these rankings, Miami has an abundance of choices for wedding vendors, ranking especially high for things like the number of venues, photo booth rentals, limousine services, cake shops and restaurants per capita," the study said, adding that Miami also has excellent food choices.
2. Las Vegas, Nevada.
America's Sin City is the second best place to get married this year, according to WalletHub.
Las Vegas ranked No. 60 regarding cost, while facilities and services came in fourth. Activities and attractions were also in the top 10, coming in at No. 2. The overall score for Las Vegas is 75.35.
According to WalletHub, Las Vegas has lots to offer for weddings.
"Las Vegas ranks at the top of the country when it comes to the number of wedding chapels, musicians, makeup artists, and cake shops per capita, among other wedding essentials," the study said.
1. Orlando, Florida.
Orlando topped WalletHub's list of best places to marry in 2024 with an overall score of 75.88.
Orlando ranked 47th in costs, making it the second most affordable city in the top five behind Tulsa. Orlando also ranked second in facilities and services — right behind Miami — and sixth for activities and attractions.
WalletHub said Orlando came in first because the essentials to host a good wedding are readily available.
"For example, it ranks at the top of the nation when it comes to the number of venues, party equipment rentals, videographers, DJs and flower shops per capita, among others," the study said. "Being in a big city like Orlando can make the logistics of getting everything together much smoother — when one vendor is booked for a certain date or doesn't meet the couple's tastes, there's always others to look at."
WalletHub added that Orlando has "the second-highest number of hotels per capita" in the country, meaning wedding guests likely won't have issues finding lodging.
"Plus, guests who want to stay for more than just the wedding can enjoy Orlando's abundant attractions — it ranks second among the most fun cities and is the best city for foodies," the study said.
Read the original article on Business Insider