Cut the cost of being a wedding guest this summer
WITH ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE INVITED TO NUPTIALS THIS YEAR, HERE’S HOW TO ENJOY THE BIG DAY WITHOUT ENDING UP WITH A MASSIVE BILL
WEDDING invites are coming in thick and fast after the lockdown backlog, and while it’s an honour to help a happy couple celebrate their big day, being a guest can put a strain on wallets.
Around one in five (18%) people will attend a wedding this year, research from insurance giant Aviva reveals.
One in 16 (6%) plans to attend nuptials taking place overseas – and expect to spend close to £1,000.
Spain, Italy and France are among the more common wedding destinations, although some people surveyed will be travelling further, including Argentina and India.
But those attending a wedding in the UK are unlikely to get much change out of £400, according to the research. On average, they expect to be spending £398.
While these are average figures, one in 25 (4%) says they’ll be willing to spend as much as £5,000 or more to celebrate a wedding this year.
The research also indicates those attending a UK-based wedding in 2024 plan to spend less than those going to a UK wedding in 2023, when the average expected spend was £488.
SURPRISING
Among those heading abroad to attend a wedding, the average cost this year is slightly higher than last year – £999 compared to £978.
Perhaps surprisingly, men expect to fork out more on weddings this year than women. When it comes to weddings overseas, men predict they will spend £1,125, compared to £894 for female guests.
This trend continues for weddings in the UK, with men calculating they will spend £459, compared with £340 for women.
The costs associated with weddings can sometimes lead to tensions, with just under a fifth (19%) saying they feel obliged to attend.
Those aged 35 to 44 are nearly twice as likely as people aged 18 to 24 to say they feel strong-armed into showing up, at 22% versus
12%, according to the Censuswide survey of 2,000 people in March.
It also indicates that there may be an awareness gap when it comes to travel insurance, with 10% believing travel insurance would provide cover in the event the nuptials were cancelled, whereas many travel insurance policies would not pay out in this scenario. While travel insurance may not provide cover for the cancellation of the wedding itself – or if you decided to no longer attend – it could give protection for cancelling or cutting short a trip for reasons out of the guest’s control, such as being unable to travel due to illness.
One in seven (14%) people surveyed admitted they never take out travel insurance, potentially leaving them exposed if the unexpected happens.
Suzzane Caine, travel claims expert at Aviva, says: “Though joyous occasions, the cost of attending a wedding can soon add up, easily reaching four figures in many cases. It’s interesting to see that despite ambitions to cut costs, such as timing a holiday with the wedding, a large portion of Brits are choosing to travel without cover.
“Although you wouldn’t be covered if the couple has a change of heart or needed to postpone the wedding, you would be covered if something prevented you from making it to the celebrations such as unexpectedly having to cancel, which according to Aviva data from the last five years, is the most common claim during summer.
“Travel insurance is designed to help you in the case of an unforeseen emergency and by taking out travel insurance as soon as you book your trip, it will give you peace of mind knowing that you are protected, both in the lead-up to your trip and while celebrating with the newlyweds.”
While weddings can be expensive to attend – particularly if you’ve been invited to more than one this year –there may be ways to cut the costs.
Booking train travel in advance or agreeing to car share with other guests could help with transport costs.
Websites such as Skyscanner can also help with comparing the costs of flights.
Teaming up with other wedding guests could work in other ways too, perhaps by clubbing
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The cost can soon add up, easily reaching four figures in many cases
together to buy one expensive gift rather than buying several less costly presents.
Or, if you’re staying overnight, you could consider seeing if booking an Airbnb with a few other guests could work out cheaper than getting a hotel room.
Don’t forget any loyalty points you have previously built up, which could help you with transport and accommodation costs.
There may also be ways to cut the cost of your outfit, for example by renting clothing and accessories rather than buying outright. Alternatively, you could consider browsing for preloved items from auction websites such as eBay and Vinted, or in charity shops. If you’re buying from a second-hand website you could always sell the item on afterwards and even make your money back.
And consider broadening search terms to give yourself more choice online.
So, for example, rather than just ‘wedding’, phrases such as ‘mother of the bride’ or ‘races’ can generate other preloved shopping options.
Finally, you could double up, so the wedding trip becomes a holiday. Aviva found that one in eight (12%) guests are planning a holiday to coincide with the wedding.
A further one in 10 (10%) will extend the celebrations by going away with the wedding party afterwards – although guests may want to make sure the happy couple are also fully on board with this idea!
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You can rent clothing and accessories rather than buying them outright