Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Attending a wedding may be a joyous occasion to celebrate love, but it is also more expensive than ever, new research has found.
According to annual wedding research from American Express , British wedding guests will spend an average of £391 each in 2019 - nearly a third more than last year.
As a nation, that means that attending weddings in 2019 will cost Brits £5.5bn.
Understandably, hotels are the largest expense for wedding guests, costing an average of £72, Amex research found, followed by outfit expenses and gifts, which cost attendees £68 and £66, respectively.
And while stag or hen parties are a fun part of the wedding celebrations, an invite also means spending £58, a £16 increase from last year.
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in picturesShow all 27 1 /27Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, 2018 Princess Eugenie, eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, and her husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank, hold hands as they descend the stairs outside St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their nuptials on 12 October 2018
Getty Images
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Prince Harry and Meghan, 2018 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex emerge from the West Door of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle after their wedding ceremony
AFP/Getty
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Zara and Mike, 2011 Zara Phillips and her new husband Mike Tindall kiss outside Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh after their wedding
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Prince William and Catherine Middleton, 2011 Prince William and his wife Kate kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace next to bridesmaids Margarita Armstrong-Jones (right) and Grace Van Cutsem (left), following their wedding at Westminster Abbey
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, 2008 Peter Phillips, the eldest grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Canadian Autumn Kelly leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor after their marriage ceremony
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Charles and Camilla, 2005 The Prince of Wales and his bride Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall leave St George's Chapel in Windsor, following the church blessing of their civil wedding ceremony
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Lady Armstrong-Jones and Daniel Chatto, 1994 Lady Armstrong-Jones arrives with her bridesmaids, Lady Francis Armstrong-Jones, Zara Phillips and Tara Noble Singh at St Stephen Walbrook Church, City of London, for her wedding to Daniel Chatto
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Viscount Linley and Serena Stanhope, 1993 Serena Stanhope with her father Viscount Petersham at Claridges Hotel, London en route to St Margaret's Church, Westminster for her wedding to Viscount Linley (David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon)
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Lady Helen and Tim Taylor, 1992 Lady Helen Windsor and her husband , Tim Taylor, on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, after their wedding ceremony
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Edward and Sophie, 1992 Prince Edward, his wife Sophie Rhys- Jones and her pageboys and bridesmaids leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor after their wedding. Known as afterwards as the Earl and Countess of Wessex
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Andrew and Sarah, 1986 Prince Andrew kisses his bride Sarah Ferguson on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Charles and Diana, 1981 The Prince and Princess of Wales smile and wave to the crowds during their carriage procession to Buckingham Palace after their wedding at St.Paul's Cathedral
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Charles and Diana, 1981 Lady Diana and Charles, Prince of Wales are seen during their wedding at St Paul Cathedral
AFP/Getty
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, 1978 Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz), after their civil wedding ceremony at Vienna Town Hall, ready for their evening reception
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, 1973 The bride and groom, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, wave to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding at Westminster Abbey
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy, 1963 Princess Alexandra (daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent) and her husband, Sir Angus Ogilvy, riding in a carriage through London after their wedding at Westminster Abbey
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Princess Margaret and Antony, 1960 Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones at Buckingham Palace after their marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Elizabeth and Philip, 1947 The royal wedding party appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after Princess Elizabeth was married to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (now the Duke of Edinburgh) in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Elizabeth and Philip, 1947 A Panoramic view as the crowds gather to watch Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh get married
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Elizabeth and Philip, 1947 Members of the British Royal family and guests pose around Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace on their wedding day
AFP/Getty
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Elizabeth and Philip, 1947 Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh are cheered by the crowd after their wedding ceremony
AFP/Getty
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Elizabeth and Philip, 1947 Crowds camp out overnight on the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the Royal Couple, Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on their wedding day
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Edward and Wallis, 1937 Edward, Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII of England) and his wife Wallis Simpson during their wedding at Chateau de Candé in France. Edward VIII of England, eldest son of George V and Mary of Teck, abdicated because of his love affair with American-born divorcee Wallis Simpson. After his abdication, he became Duke of Windsor and married Mrs. Simpson, who had changed her name by deed poll to Wallis Warfield, in a private ceremony
AFP/Getty
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Prince Henry and Lady Alice, 1935 The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester on their wedding day. Lady Alice and Prince Henry were married at Buckingham Palace
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Elizabeth and Albert,1923 Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later to be Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) and Prince Albert, Duke of York (later to be King George VI) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Princess Patricia and Commander Alexander Ramsay, 1919 Princess Patricia of Connaught, driving from Westminster Abbey, with her husband Commander Alexander Ramsay, after their wedding ceremony
PA
Royal wedding ceremonies: through the years in pictures Royal Wedding - Edward and Alexandra, 1863 Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and his bride, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, after their wedding
PA
Additional costs of attending a wedding include travel, drinks and hair and beauty, according to Amex.
Interestingly, the report, which surveyed 2,000 adults, found that the number of weddings Brits are expected to attend in 2019 has declined to just one ceremony a year, a decrease from the three ceremonies in 2018.
According to Amex, the cost increase of £88 per person since 2018 likely has to do with the decline in wedding invites, which mean a bigger budget “set aside for gifts, hotels and outfits”.
To deal with the increasing costs, 48 per cent of respondents told Amex they purchase their wedding outfits on sale, with the same amount planning to use offers such as “hotel deals or flight sales to save money”.
These are the costs of attending a UK wedding in 2019, compared to 2018.
Hotel: £72 (up from £54)
Outfits: £68 (up from £50)
Gifts: £66 (up from £57)
Hen/stag do: £58 (up from £42)
Travel: £57 (up from £42)
Drinks: £45 (up from £36)
Hair and beauty: £25 (up from £22)
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Total: £391 (up from £303)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments