Average wedding cost in the US

Between 2010 and 2023, the average US wedding cost and the UK pint price both increased, correlating at 0.9641 across twelve data points. The transatlantic theory is that British beer inflation is funding American wedding inflation, which is not how economics works but is how the data looks. The simpler truth is that everything gets more expensive in both countries because that is what inflation does, and a wedding—which already costs too much—and a pint—which already costs enough—are both subject to the same inexorable force. Neither the bride nor the publican is responsible for the other's pricing decisions.

Average US wedding costs rose from roughly $28,000 to over $35,000 between 2010 and 2023, driven by venue inflation, vendor consolidation, and social media-driven expectations. UK pint prices rose due to general inflation, excise duty increases, and pub industry cost pressures. Both are inflation-adjusted price increases across the same 12-year window in two developed economies, driven by independent cost structures.

Two prices rising due to inflation in two developed countries will always correlate. The wedding and the pint share an economic era, not a supply chain.