The average cost to attend a wedding this year is more than £700, according to research by Amazon Handmade UK.

Two thirds of people attending a wedding this year are concerned about the impact that attending will have on their finances.

Guests will spend an average of £97.90 on a wedding gift, with the most popular gifts including cash (29 per cent) and personalised gifts (22 per cent).

Amazon Handmade has launched a Wedding Store to help customers find unique, personalisable wedding gifts, with some for less than £25.

Luxembourg, Monday 4^th July: In time for what’s set to be a very busy wedding season, Amazon Handmade has launched a designated Wedding Store, which will feature unique, handmade, and personalisable wedding gifts for every budget. According to research commissioned by Amazon Handmade, wedding guests across the UK estimate they’ll fork out more than £700 to attend the special day of friends and loved ones. The survey of 1,000 people planning on attending a wedding in the next year found the average person plans on spending £102.70 on accommodation, £97.90 on gifts and £96.10 on outfits. They’ll also splash out £88.40 for travel, £84.90 on a hen or stag do, £80.40 on alcohol, £78.00 on food and an additional £72.10 on hair and make-up, which takes the total to an eye-watering £700.50 for just one single wedding.

With the average planning on attending three weddings over the next 12 months, this means their costs could spike to thousands of pounds.

Justine Gonsalves, Senior Category Manager, Amazon Handmade said: “With our research finding the average wedding guest plans on spending more than £700 for a single wedding this year, it’s understandable there will be worry about the potential expense, especially during the current cost of living crisis. Amazon Handmade’s new Wedding Store curates affordable wedding gifts, all from small businesses and makers, so it’s the perfect place to find something special for a friend or family member’s big day.”

The study also found that more than half (54 per cent) felt pressured to spend more money than they would like when attending a wedding, and one of the main expenses is a present for the newlyweds. It could explain why half (51 per cent) plan on wearing the same outfit if they are attending multiple weddings, and how going to more than one wedding within a year would also lead to more than half (53 per cent) spending less on gifts.

The most popular gifts include:

• cash (29 per cent)
• personalised gifts (22 per cent)
• white goods such as a freezer or washing machine (19 per cent)
• paying for part of the honeymoon (18 per cent)

Despite nearly a third going for the easy option of giving cash, there was a widespread appreciation of what personalised gifts can mean and represent to the happy couple. Exactly half of those polled via OnePoll think that a personalised gift shows they care more and it shows the couple gifting it that they like personalised gifts themselves – so they might receive something bespoke in the future (47 per cent).

When it came to the bottom line, 62 per cent wished weddings were cheaper and two-thirds admitted they were concerned about the impact weddings could have on their finances. While 45 per cent said they believed weddings had become more expensive since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a determination not to let that hold them back, as 36 per cent said they were more excited to attend now restrictions had been removed.

Xavier Flamand, VP Amazon Handmade EU added: “At Amazon Handmade we’ve always prided ourselves in being a champion for small businesses and makers. With many people across the country planning to attend a number of weddings throughout the season, especially after the delays and backlog of the pandemic. Purchasing presents from Amazon Handmade is the perfect way to support small businesses while doing so.”

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

Amazon Handmade Wedding Store: http://www.amazon.co.uk/handmadeweddingstore

Total Wedding Spend Breakdown

• Wedding outfit: £96.10
• Alcohol: £80.40
• Cost of travel: £88.40
• Hair and make-up: £72.10
• Food: £78.00
• Hen/stag do: £84.90
• Wedding gift: £97.90
• Travel: £102.70

Total = £700.50

OnePoll is a market research company commissioned by Amazon Handmade to conduct a survey of 1,000 people planning to attend a wedding in the next 12 months.

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