Wedding attendance costs rise: average guest spends £380
Unfortunately, it’s not just the happy couple who’re obliged to inflict GBH on their wallets in the run up to the Big Day.
Two surveys have found that the average wodge of cash a wedding guest has to part with has hit an all time high. The numbers ain’t pretty, so brace yourself…
According to Direct Line, guests will spend an average of £290 this summer, up on last year’s spend of £280. A second survey conducted for Santander Cards has come up with a figure of £380, although this includes the cost of attending stag weekends, which averaged out at £114. Santander reckons that travel and accommodation sets guests back a whopping £210; they also fork out £131 on wedding gifts as well as £123 on wedding attire and accessories. With free bars now a rarity, we Brits spend £10.45 billion every year attending other people’s weddings. Ouch.
Whilst costs may be rising, guests are now planning on spending less in light of all that tedious global economic meltdown stuff. Santander found that a quarter of pollsters intend to spend less this year, with a stingy 19% not planning on buying a present. Direct Line’s poll of 2,017 also found that folks are cutting back and paying an average of £78.67 on presents compared to last year’s £86.51. Half said they’d save cash by forgoing a new outfit and a naughty 17% confessed that they might make up an excuse not to attend a wedding if they were really skint.
Emma Roberts, Director of Santander Cards, said: “It’s easy to overlook the cost involved in being a wedding guest but the outlay can be significant, both before and during the big day.” You’re not wrong, love.
If your bank account’s on life support, check out these free pressie ideas.
Do you resent the financial demands of weddings or are you happy to push the boat out? Confide in the forum – we won’t tell…
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