The perfect wedding photos cost Americans this much

Seven in 10 married Americans said they couldn’t even enjoy their own wedding day because of how stressed they were over their own appearance.

A poll of 2,000 engaged or married Americans found on average, brides and grooms are willing to spend $1,680 on a good wedding photographer and an additional $1,581 on just getting ready for the photos themselves.

Four out of five (79%) believe it’s important to have the perfect wedding photos and 68% believe it’s important to look good for their wedding photos.

A quarter (24%) planned to have aesthetic changes done leading up to their big day.

Leading up to their picture debut, respondents said they plan or had planned to get their hair professionally done (56%), get their makeup done (45%), get their nails done (41%), lose weight (27%) and get their teeth whitened (26%).

However, the study commissioned by the Invisalign brand and conducted by OnePoll, found the lead-up to their wedding day rarely comes scot-free. Four in five (81%) said they feel or felt some level of stress leading up to their wedding day.

Weddings are so chaotic that sometimes even photoshoots don’t go smoothly.

Over a fourth of married respondents (29%) experienced some kind of drama during their wedding photoshoot — including wedding party members running late (37%), in-laws or parents disagreeing on who should be in family photos (37%) and kids making faces (32%).

A third (33%) also stated they didn’t show their teeth in any of their wedding photos because they were embarrassed by their smile.

When looking at other peoples’ wedding photos, 40% said the first physical feature they look at is their smile.

“Wedding days rank high among the most important days a person can experience in their life, and one of the milestones that bring patients into my office for a consultation,” said orthodontist Dr. Marta Baird, DDS, MSD. “Knowing you’re going to look great for photos that will be treasured for generations is so important to many of my patients who are planning a wedding.”

The survey also found 32% of married respondents admitted there were things about how they or their spouse looked the day of their wedding that they wish they could have changed.

Those changes include having more time to prepare themselves (42%), wearing something different (35%) or hosting the wedding at a different venue (34%).

Four in 10 said they have plans ahead of their wedding for aesthetic changes to their smile: getting their teeth whitened (26%) and getting their teeth aligned (14%).

“To keep the charm of the big day, focus on yourself and how you want to be remembered walking down the aisle,” added Dr. Baird. “Having a smile you can be confident about is a key part of it and the best part is you can achieve that perfect smile comfortably, on your schedule, and without interfering with your lifestyle.”

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 engaged or married Americans was commissioned by Align Technology’s Invisalign brand between June 9 and June 12, 2023. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).