Weddings Vs. House: Which Costs More In Western New York?

A recent study from Zillow predicted that the Buffalo, New York area would be one of the hottest markets in the U.S. for 2024, but that doesn’t mean it won’t cost you a pretty penny.

Which Is More Expensive In Buffalo – Buying A House, Or A Wedding?

If you recently got engaged here in Buffalo, you’re probably feeling on cloud nine. Making the decision to get married is a wonderful life moment, but it’s also soon followed by having to face some tough choices - especially when it comes to your wedding expenses.

Couples shell out big bucks for all kinds of weddings, including paying for things like:

Dress
Tux
Rings
License
Catering
Flowers
Cake
Venue
Honeymoon

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When an engaged couple realizes just how expensive a wedding is going to be, many skip out on the huge soiree and decide to save their money for something practical, like a home.

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But buying a house sure isn’t cheap, either. Both paying for a wedding and buying a home are huge financial commitments, and often couples have to choose between the two for their first big financial expense.

The financial website SmartAsset analyzed the cost of weddings in various cities and metros across the United States. They then compared them to local median home sale prices on Zillow.

Using a 13% down payment (the national average) as their metric, they determined the areas of the US where getting married are more expensive than buying a home in 2023.

So how did Buffalo do?

Western New York Weddings Cost More Than Buying A House

The Buffalo-Cheektowaga metro made SmartAsset’s list of ten places in 2023 where it’s more expensive to get married than put a down payment on a home, coming in at #8.

According to their research, the average cost of a wedding here costs $32,394, while a 13% down payment on a house runs $27,938 on average.

That means a Buffalo couple would spend 15.94% more for their wedding day than they would if they purchased a home instead.