Weddings are notoriously expensive, with the bride and groom spending on average an eye-watering £27,161 on making their big day as perfect as can be. Yet it’s not just the newlyweds who are forking out a lot of money, as wedding guests are paying more and more to see their loved ones tie the knot, particularly if those nuptials are taking place abroad.
From spending money on the essentials like accommodation and travel, to buying an entirely new outfit as well as a thoughtful wedding present, being a wedding guest can be a pricey business. Now, Provident has revealed just how expensive it is, with the average cost coming in at a staggeringly high £1015 from a survey of 1040 wedding guests. This takes in to account all the minutiae involved, from food and drinks, to hair and beauty treatments, extra childcare and pre-wedding events such as engagement parties or hen dos.
Surprisingly, the cost for a bridesmaid isn’t much different, with the survey showing that the average spend is £1058, so just £43. This probably reflects the fact that most brides will put their bridesmaids up in shared accommodation, and also pay for other things, such as transport and even the dress. The parents of the bride don’t have it so easy though, spending £1450 on their daughter’s big day on average.
With more and more couples opting for destination weddings (up to 16 per cent), the cost for guests is getting higher too, with the total spend almost doubling if there are flights and more nights away from home involved, totalling £2050. While the bride and groom can expect to pay less for venue hire and catering in Europe, it seems the same is not true for guests.