THE average wedding guest reckons they fork out more than £700 to attend the special day of a pal or loved one.
A survey of 1,000 people planning to attend a wedding in the next year found they'll spend an average of £102.70 on accommodation, £97.90 on gifts, £96.10 on outfits.
They’ll also splash out £88.40 for travel, £84.90 on a hen or stag do, £80.40 on alcohol, £78 on food and an additional £72.10 on hair and make-up.
It takes the total to an eye-watering £700.50 for just a single wedding.
With the average person planning on attending three weddings over the next 12 months, this means their costs could spike to thousands of pounds.
Justine Gonsalves, senior category manager at Amazon Handmade, which commissioned the research to highlight its wedding store, said: “With our research finding the average wedding guest plans on spending more than £700 for a single wedding this year, it’s understandable there will be worry about the potential expense, especially during the current cost of living crisis.”
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The study also found 54 per cent felt pressured to spend more money than they would like when attending a wedding, and one of the main expenses is a wedding present.
It could explain why 51 per cent plan on wearing the same outfit if they were attending multiple weddings.
While going to more than one wedding within a year would also lead to 53 per cent spending less on gifts.
The most popular gifts include cash (29 per cent), personalised gifts (22 per cent), white goods such as a freezer or washing machine (19 per cent) or paying for part of the honeymoon (18 per cent).
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But despite nearly a third going for the easy option of giving cash to the newlyweds, personalised gifts are also appreciated.
Half of those polled, via OnePoll, think it shows they care more than simply buying a generic gift.
While 47 per cent it shows the couple that they like personalised gifts – so they might receive something bespoke in the future.
It also emerged 62 per cent wished weddings were cheaper and two-thirds admitted they were concerned about the impact weddings could have on their finances.
While 45 per cent believed weddings had become more expensive since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a determination not to let that hold them back, as 36 per cent said more excited to attend now restrictions had been removed.
Xavier Flamand, vice president of Amazon Handmade EU, said: “We always pride ourselves in being a champion for small businesses and makers.
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"With many people across the country planning to attend a number of weddings throughout the season, especially after the delays and backlog of the pandemic, people want to enjoy the big day.
“As our research shows, personalised gifts are a unique way to show your love and finding one at the right price is all important for almost two-thirds of respondents.”
TOTAL COST FOR WEDDING GUESTS
Wedding outfit: £96.10
Alcohol: £80.40
Cost of travel: £88.40
Hair and make-up: £72.10
Food: £78
Hen/stag do: £84.90
Wedding gift: £97.90
Travel: £102.70
Total: £700.50
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