Average Wedding Cost: National Average Rose In 2011

The average cost of a wedding rose in 2011 for the first time since 2008, according to a new report released Wednesday from wedding websites TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com.

The Real Weddings Survey, which polled nearly 18,000 U.S. couples who tied the knot in 2011, found that the national average cost of a wedding had grown to $27,021 from $26,984 in 2010.

The annual report also revealed that in 2011, one in five U.S. couples spent more than $30,000 on their weddings, while 11 percent spent more than $40,000.

The research shows that couples are not as concerned with the economy and "are increasingly comfortable investing more in the once-in-a-lifetime occasion of their wedding," Carley Roney, co-founder of The Knot, said in a press release.

The survey also examined other interesting wedding trends across the U.S., such as the average age of brides and grooms (29 years old and 30 years old, respectively) and the most expensive places to get married in the country.

Click through the slideshow below to read some of the survey's other interesting findings.