Even though us Brits love nothing more than getting glammed-up for the wedding of our friends and family, we’re spending over the odds to attend them.
According to new research, the average Brit spends £256 to attend somebody else’s wedding. Included in the sum is the average price of a gift (£89), a new outfit (£64), a hotel for the night (£58) and travel to and from the wedding venue (£48).
The amount we spent was found to increase with age as those aged 55 or over spending an average of £369 per wedding compared to £180 from those aged 18 to 24.
The survey of over 4,400 adults revealed that the increase in cost for guests is the result of a change in wedding trends as set by the bride and groom.
Providing free drinks to their wedding guests is an example of the couple attempting to reduce the cost for their guest, as reported by 72% of those asked.
Just 40% said that they thought it was acceptable for the soon-to-be husband and wife to ask for a cash donation as opposed to a formal wedding present, whereas 16% thought that it wasn’t acceptable to not be offered food throughout the day. Furthermore, 22% of those asked said that not allowing guests to bring a ‘plus one’ was okay.
Director of consumer and commercial cards at Lloyds Bank, Jon Roberts, commented:
“When we receive a wedding invitation, our reaction is usually the opposite to our feelings when we receive a considerable bill through the post – but increasingly the cost associated with attending a wedding can’t be ignored.
What really matters when your closest friends or family are tying the knot is helping them to mark the occasion and having a memorable time.
Shifting attitudes and expectations are partly a reflection of that, but we must be aware of how much we spend as wedding guests too – if nothing else, so that we can afford to accept all the invitations we receive!”
