Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-05-11
COST or AVERAGE WEDDING.
Experts Figure That Ii Costs sryse
sSs-ss and tire Groom s22.ot.


Careful observation extending over
period OF forty-two years and sun.
piemented by thousands OF fnterview.t
with storekeepers. hairdressers. mo-
dlstes, milliners, collectors and others
lead us 70 believe that the average
cost OF a brides trousseau in this
country taking the rich with the p,or
--is the sum OF s66.ss.
Equally careful observation couvin-
ces US that the average cost OF tha
bridegrooms satorial outfit is slightly
less than one-third that amount--or.
to be exact. $220i. Thus we have
$3.50 as the cost OF the garments
worn by bride and groom at the av.
erage wedding In the course of the av.
erage honeymoon.
Several Hymenesl Expenses.
But this il as naugnt compared to
certain other hymeneal expenses. Al
the average wedding. we learn upon
inquiry, the number of wedding pres
ents received by the bride is forty.
eight and their average cost tribe
more than 1920. A few articles Of
genuine silver cost more, but others
are worth decidedly less. Accepting
these tigures as broadly accurate, we
find that the wedding present bin
comes to $10sa4
But three more important sources of
expense remain to be considered. One
Is the wedding feast, one Is the honey.
moon tour and the third Is the furnish.
ing of the honeymooners' new home.
The cost of the first is borne by the
brides father and we are informed by
various caterers. winters and ref
erees In bankruptcy that 1t averages
$3.50 at mean low water.
For our facts regarding the cost OF
honeymoon tours we have consulted
traffic agents, hotel keepers and
money lenders. Striking an average
between their diverse estimates, we
find that the customary honeymoon
costs $4117 cash
In the same way we have sought In.
formation from instaIlment men, bin
collectors bailiffs, piano movers and
10 per cent. loan agents regarding the
cost OF furnishing the average honey
moon fat and their estimates work
out s122.23. Allowing $i.12 to cover
the preachers and sections fees and
we find that the cost OF the average
wedding Is $44s55
sseIfsupporting Girls.
Besides this. however, we must re-
member that exactly SO per cent. OF the
brides of America are young women
who have been engaged in some form
or other Of productive activity. In
word, one-half of the girls of this
our fair country are self-supporting
and the bureau Of commerce and labor
tells us that they earn on the average
Of SO week or 5000 year.
Capitalizing this at per cent. we
find that 1t Is equivalent to an invest
ment Of $4,000 Now. whenever
young woman earning an average or
SIS week Is married and so quits
work, this $4,000 vanishes into the
thin air. Therefore. since half the
brides Of any. given year are OF the
wage-earning class, II follows that the
average wedding withdraws $4,000
from the available capital reserve OF
the United States.
Now let us recapitulate The actual
cost OF a wedding as we have seen, Is
sf4S.55 and the loss OF capital through
the brides abandonment Of useful and
profitable activity is $4,000 This
makes the total cost to the nation,
s2.s4S,55.
Now, since there are 100000 mar
riages a year In tha United States, II
Is evident that the total bill is approx
imateIy $1,000, 900 .Oo0-as much as tho
.country's annual revenue and almost
as much as the cost of the Russo
Japanese war.