ly ▁in ▁format ▁from ▁the ▁traditional ▁template . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁median ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁wed ding , ▁including ▁both ▁the ▁ceremony ▁and ▁reception , ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁h one ym oon , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁was ▁about ▁US ▁$ 1 8 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁wed ding , ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁survey ▁at ▁an ▁online ▁wed ding ▁website . ▁ ▁Regional ▁differences ▁are ▁significant , ▁with ▁residents ▁of ▁Manh attan ▁pay ing ▁more ▁than ▁three ▁times ▁the ▁median , ▁while ▁residents ▁of ▁Al aska ▁spent ▁less ▁than ▁half ▁as ▁much . ▁ ▁Additionally , ▁the ▁survey ▁probably ▁over est im ates ▁the ▁typical ▁cost ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁bi ased ▁sample ▁population . ▁ ▁History ▁Wed d ings ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁were ▁once ▁based ▁out ▁of ▁comm od ity , ▁rather ▁than ▁desire ▁or ▁love . ▁The ▁word ▁" wed ding " ▁imp lied ▁the ▁security ▁the ▁gro om ' s ▁family ▁provided ▁to ▁the ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁b ride ▁when ▁the ▁couple ▁married . ▁Br ides ▁were ▁chosen ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁economic ▁worth . ▁This ▁tr end ▁last ed ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁Century , ▁when ▁cou ples ▁started ▁to ▁marry ▁for ▁love . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁Century , ▁wed d ings ▁were ▁typically ▁small , ▁int imate ▁cer emon ies ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁either ▁the ▁parents ▁of ▁the ▁b ride ▁or ▁the ▁parents ▁of ▁the ▁gro om . ▁The ▁announ cement ▁of