We're all well aware that planning and holding your own wedding can be, potentially, a very pricey affair.
The average cost of throwing a wedding lands somewhere around the £30,000 mark – which is no surprise, when you consider everything that needs to be paid for, from the cake, to the flowers, food, and venue.
But something that often gets overlooked is the cost that comes with being invited to a wedding.
Of course, we’re always thrilled to attend a special wedding, whether it be the nupitals of our children, a close friend, or a colleague.
However, going to a wedding as a guest is undeniably turning into an expensive affair, with more and more being asked of attendees all the time.
And according to research of 2,000 people, conducted by American Express, it’s all adding up – with a wedding costing guests on average a whopping £391.
Hotels form the largest expense, which is no surprise, with weddings taking place all the way from distant areas in the UK to far-flung destinations abroad. Guests spend on average £72 on accomodation.
Outfits and gifts for the couple also add to the expenses, costing us on average £68 and £66 with each wedding.
Stag and hen parties are also a big part of the cost too, and that’s before we’ve even been to the wedding!
An invite to one will cost you roughly £58, although of course that could add up quickly if the bride or groom up to hold theirs abroad, an increasingly popular choice.
Other costs include hair and beauty are also said to add to the soaring expenses.
The research has found that the spend required to attend a wedding has increased significantly between 2018 to 2019. On average, guests now spend £88 more than they did last year.
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This has, in turn, resulted in a increase in the number of wedding invites being declined – the average Brit will now attend just one wedding on average in 2019, down from three in 2018.
See the breakdown of costs of being a wedding guest below…
Hotel: £72 (up from £54 in 2018)
Drinks: £45 (up from £36 in 2018)
Hair and beauty: £25 (up from £22 in 2018)
Outfit: £68 (up from £50 in 2018)
Travel: £57 (up from £42 in 2018)
Hen/stag do: £58 (up from £42 in 2018)
Gifts: £66 (up from £57 in 2018)
So do you agree with the research? And would the rising cost of attendance put you off of going to a wedding?
