How Much It Costs to Be a Wedding Guest Across the U.S.
The need for a wedding budget doesn’t just apply to the bride and groom.
In fact, wedding bells ringing are a signal that everyone should start their financial planning — even the guests.
According to a new Bankrate.com report, which surveyed 2,228 adults across the U.S., Americans spend an average of $628 to attend a wedding of their nearest and dearest. And that’s just to be a guest. They're not even the ones who have to find formal wear in the bride’s and groom’s chosen colors or figure out planning bachelor and bachelorette parties. Although they are assumed to be attending the shower and bachelor or bachelorette parties. More distant guests spend an average of $371.60, according to the report.
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Being part of the wedding party, as you might guess, is a whole new and even more expensive ball game. According to the report, bridesmaids and groomsmen across the U.S. spend an average of $728 on gifts, clothes, travel, bridal showers, bachelor parties, and so on.
If they live in the Northeast, bridal parties spend an average of $1,070.
If you have a friend who recently said "yes," it’s best to start planning. Bankrate.com suggests wedding guests and bridal party members should think practically about what they can spend, and begin saving as soon as the engagement is announced.
Or you can just hope the next wedding you go to is a casual, backyard barbecue. But it’s not likely.
More details on the report can be found on Bankrate.com.