UK Wedding Guest Spend Is Increasing

Wedding season has started, which can be an expensive occasion for the soon-to-be newlyweds. From the venue, catering, dress & suits. However, it’s not often spoken about how expensive it can be for a guest to attend a wedding!

After a recent survey conducted by Opinium, they found that guests in 2023 have increased their spending on attending a wedding by 18% compared to 2022, which is an expected spend of a whopping £1045 per wedding!

The Stats

The survey, published by American Express, asked 2,000 people across the UK to add up their individual wedding costs and submit it. Within that figure, they had to account for childcare for the weddings that don’t allow children to attend, and accommodation close to the venue to offset finding a lift or paying for a taxi to the venue and back home. 

In addition, there’s travelling to the venue and buying a new outfit for the occasion. The other costs guests are likely to face are:

Come Fly With Me

Going abroad to get hitched is more popular than ever with destinations such as Spain & Ireland ranking highest. 12% of all wedding guests will be flying over to both of these destinations to attend a wedding in 2023, which is a great opportunity to get cashback or earn loyalty points from the cost of the trip.

To rent, to buy or re-wear?

Now more than ever, people are looking at other alternatives to buying something new for each & every event they’re invited to. There are popular websites that allow you to ‘rent’ clothes. You can choose your outfit, they’ll send it to you, you wear it and you send it back! These can be designer items which you are able to wear at a fraction of the cost.

We’re keen to know more about your wedding spending habits! Do you go all out? Do you try to keep to a strict budget? Let us know over on our socials!

Research was conducted by Opinium. Sample was of 2,000 UK adults (18+). Results were weighted to be nationally representative. Fieldwork took place 17-20 March 2023.