Surveys

Engagement Ring Spending Flatlined in 2018, Survey Shows

SurveysFeb 12, 2019

Engagement Ring Spending Flatlined in 2018, Survey Shows

It’s part of a continuing trend of couples spending less on the big day.

20171019_3_Just_Jules-6211-1000-1000-100.jpg
The Wedding Report released its 2018 report this week. It found that the average amount spent on an engagement ring in 2018 was $3,388, while The Knot has it at about $5,800. This ring from Just Jules in 14-karat white gold with a rose-cut diamond retails for $4,100.

Tucson, Ariz.—There was no spike in engagement ring spending in the United States last year, part of an overall trend of couples tightening the belt on their wedding budgets, a new survey shows.

On Sunday, The Wedding Report, a Tucson-based research company that tracks and forecasts spending and trends in the wedding industry, released full-year 2018 data.

The data is based on 6,792 surveys collected between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2018 and includes both couples who were already married and those who had spent money on their wedding but hadn’t yet tied the knot when they took the survey.

Overall, The Wedding Report found the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. slipped 4 percent, from $25,764 in 2017 to $24,723 in 2018.

It was the first time since 2009 that the average cost of a wedding has slipped below $25,000 in The Wedding Report’s year-end survey and was on par with what consumers spent in 2008, when the average was $24,100.

Spending across almost aspects of the ceremony and reception declined or was flat, including spending on engagement rings and wedding bands.

According to the survey, the average amount spent on an engagement ring in 2018 was $3,388, down less than 1 percent from $3,402 in 2017.

Spending on the wedding band for her was $775, down only slightly from an average of $782 in 2017. The average amount spent on men’s bands was $454, virtually unchanged from $455.

Spending for other wedding jewelry—bracelets (average of $174), earrings ($151) and necklaces ($199)—also was flat year-over-year.

The engagement ring figure from The Wedding Report is always lower than what The Knot reports in its various surveys; the latest figure from the popular wedding planning website had average engagement ring spending at $5,764.

The Wedding Report founder and CEO Shane McMurray said Monday he believes the difference is that people who use The Knot are, for the most part, planning large weddings with bigger budgets and, therefore, have more money to spend on engagement rings.

His survey, meanwhile, cuts across a broader socioeconomic swath, encompassing everyone from couples getting married at the courthouse and holding a reception in the backyard to those planning a more traditional, higher-cost ceremony.

While the numbers might be different, both The Wedding Report and The Knot’s 2017 Real Weddings Study (the 2018 version is due out later this week) are reflective of the same trend: Consumers are

starting to spend a little bit less on their big day.

McMurray attributes the change to two factors.

First, there is what he calls “lifestyle creep”—all the little things that people want or feel they need today that add up and eat into budgets, like that daily latte from the local coffee shop, the latest smartphone, drinks and dinners out with friends, styling and subscription services like Stitch Fix and Rent the Runway, and fees for the premium versions of streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, etc.

All of these little things “just keep adding up,” McMurray said.

Second, there’s rising rents, and not just in big cities like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago; McMurray noted that rents in his town, Tucson, are increasing too.

Both these factors have consumers cutting back on “traditional wedding expenditures,” like limos, live bands, videographers and wedding albums.

There were a few areas, however, where demand picked up in 2018: event spaces, food and decorations. This points to couples “looking for an experience, not a traditional wedding.”

“The reality is people’s priorities are changing,” McMurray said. “They’re different.”

To see The Wedding Report’s tables on spending in 2018 vs. 2017 visit TheWeddingReport.com.
Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

The Latest

Gemfields ruby
SourcingJun 02, 2025
Gemfields’ June Auction to Include 36-Carat Ruby

The large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.

Adobe Stock image of skyline of Bangkok, Thailand
GradingJun 02, 2025
GSI Opens New Lab in Thailand

Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.

Seaman Schepps pearl earrings
TrendsJun 02, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Three Gems for June

Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.

DCA-student-cert-NJ1872x1052-2.png
Brought to you by
The True Power Behind the Counter: Why Sales Associates Are the Heart of the Jewelry Business

When investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.

David Allouche
SourcingJun 02, 2025
David Allouche Joins Grandview Klein Diamonds

The diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.

Weekly QuizMay 30, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Movado Connect 2.0 watches
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Zoë Chicco Bracelets
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable Environment

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Article Image 1.png
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Renato Cipullo Hematite Blaze Necklace
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ Necklace

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

Stock image of shipping containers
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs Invalid

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

Britney Spears
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry Line

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Inoveo Platinum Grain image.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by Stuller

Sponsored by Stuller

Grizzly Mining Pilala emerald
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat Emerald

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.

GemFind Logo
TechnologyMay 29, 2025
GemFind Launches AI Product Description Software

GemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.

Graff Fontainebleau Las Vegas
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Graff Unveils New Las Vegas Flagship

The 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.

Kim Kardashian
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist Trial

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

New York Liberty 2024 WNBA Championship Ring
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic Win

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

Jewelers Board of Trade logo
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Andrew Rickard Named JBT President

A longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.

Logos for Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America and Jewelers of America
MajorsMay 27, 2025
MJSA to Become Part of Jewelers of America

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Al Capone Pocket Watch
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
Al Capone’s Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Back Up for Auction

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

Kat Florence Lumina
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
182-Carat Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Sells for $487K

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Mark Henry Gumdrop Bypass Ring
TrendsMay 27, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Candy-Colored Gemstones

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

Stock image of police cars with their lights on
CrimeMay 23, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in Burglaries

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

Bliss Lau Bright Ring
CollectionsMay 23, 2025
Piece of the Week: Bliss Lau’s ‘Bright’ Ring

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

GIA pearl report
GradingMay 23, 2025
GIA Updates Pearl Classification System

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

GCALbySarine Diamond Journey Certificate_1872x1052.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 22, 2025
How to Put Natural Diamonds Back in the Spotlight

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

The late West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger
CrimeMay 22, 2025
NY Jeweler Sentenced in Shoving Death of Colleague at IJO Show

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy