31st May 2017

Guests going to weddings this year will spend at least £408 according to new research out today – which underlines how expensive the big day is for all involved.  

This year 45% of Britons are attending on average two weddings, costing them £816 – which is the cost of a good holiday or lots of short breaks.

In total British adults will be spending around £19 billion watching family and friends tie the knot this year.   

This expenditure includes: accommodation & transport at £164.00, a new outfit at £72.00, beauty treatments at £55, the wedding gift at £47.33 and miscellaneous costs such as drinks at the reception (£70.00) totalling £408.33 

Travelodge which operates 545 hotels surveyed 2,000 British adults to see how much they spend attending weddings after experiencing a spike in wedding group room bookings.

Key findings revealed that a quarter of Britons (25%) are declining wedding invitations this year because they cannot afford the cost of being a guest.

For a third (33%) of adults, it’s a ‘No’ RSVP because they simply cannot afford the expensive hotel bill - where the wedding is taking place.  

Further findings revealed that 61% of Britons reported that there too much pressure and high expectations from couples in regards to attending their wedding nowadays.

A quarter of adults (25%) stated weddings have become events where friends are trying to outdo each other in regards to purchasing the most expensive wedding gift and wearing expensive designer clothing.

Three out of ten adults (30%) reported that they spend more on attending a wedding than their holiday.         

The research also revealed Belfastians are the UK’s most extravagant wedding guests spending in total £487.10 to attend a family or friend’s nuptials. The second biggest spenders are Londoners splashing out £446.23. Mancunians are the UK’s third biggest wedding guest spenders forking out £441.37. 

The report also revealed the nation’s most frugal wedding guests are Aberdonians who spend just £123.92 on attending a wedding followed by Wulfrunians (Wolverhampton residents) who spend £128.12 and in third place are residents from Preston who spend £129.87       

The table below highlights where the UK’s most extravagant and frugal wedding guests are located.

 

 

Rank

 

 

Big Spenders

 

Spend

 

Scrimpers

 

Spend

1

Belfast

£487.10

Aberdeen

£123.92

2

London

£446.23

Wolverhampton

£128.12

3

Manchester

£441.37

Preston

£129.87

4

Bristol

£410.96

Sheffield

£143.43

5

Cardiff

£405.84

Portsmouth

£148.04

6

Birmingham

£388.19

Edinburgh

£149.99

7

Oxford

£349.67

Cambridge

£163.45

8

Glasgow

£335.41

Chester

£165.98

9

Newcastle

£332.68

Liverpool

£199.02

10

Leeds

£332.67

Brighton

£201.78

 

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: “Nowadays attending a wedding can cost you as much as a holiday. Especially as more bridal couples are opting for a Wedcation, a full weekend wedding.”

“To ease the financial burden of being a wedding guest we are seeing more bridal couples book a large number of rooms upfront which they are offering to their guests as part of the invitation. Booking well in advance ensures they secure the best price, making it more affordable for their guests”        

 

-Ends-

For further information

Please contact the Travelodge Press Office at: 01844 358 703 or email: pressoffice@travelodge.co.uk

Notes to editors

The research was conducted with a sample of 2,000 British adults in May 2017.

The calculation for the £19 billion figure is detailed below:

 

Total number of British Adults is 51million (51,339,161)

 

45% of British adults are: 23,102,622.56 

 

On average Britons will attend two weddings in 2017 with an average spend of £408 per wedding

 

£408 x two weddings = £816  

 

No of adults attending two weddings 23,102,622.56 x 816 = 18, 851 739 919.2

 

 

Eighteen billion, eight hundred fifty one million, seven hundred thirty nine thousand, nine hundred nineteen and two tenths.