Unhappy ever after: Being a wedding guest will cost you more than £1,000 this year

According to a survey, the average wedding guest will spend more than £1,000 this year.

Those attending a wedding in 2023 expect to spend an average of £1,045 per wedding, according to American Express.

This is an 18 percent increase compared to the average spending people expected when similar research was conducted in 2022.

Wedding guests expected to spend an average of £883 last year.

Just over half (52 percent) of guests said they will be attending a wedding in 2023 that had been postponed since the start of the pandemic.

(Stock Photo) Wedding guests expected to spend an average of £883 last year

Gifts for the newlyweds will be the biggest expense for wedding guests in 2023, the study suggests, with attendees expecting to spend an average of £217.90 on the happy couple.

Cash, couples’ experiences, and kitchen appliances are among the popular gifts guests plan to make this year.

Accommodation is the second largest projected expense for guests, averaging £203.90.

Wedding guests expect to spend about a third (32 percent) more on lodging this year than in 2022, the study shows.

In addition to an increase in guest spending this year, the average number of guests per wedding is expected to increase in 2023.

The study found that the average number of guests for weddings will be 74 in 2023, compared to 66 in 2022.

Many couples are taking the opportunity to get married abroad in 2023, with Spain and Ireland among the popular destinations, American Express found.

In March 2023, about 2,000 people in the UK were surveyed by Opinium.

A similar survey of 2,000 people in the UK was previously conducted in April 2022.