Cost Of Living Crisis: How Wedding Plans Are Changing
Posted on: 04/05/2023
Getting married is a joyous time for any couple, however, that’s not to say that planning for a wedding comes without its stresses. Whether it’s managing the guestlist, or choosing the perfect wedding venue, there are numerous elements that factor in to preparing for the big day.
Amidst the current cost of living crisis, managing budgets can prove tricky, and potentially even cause friction btaetween engaged couples and those on the guestlist.
With this in mind, we conducted a survey of 2,000 UK adults to find out how loved-up Brits are approaching their wedding planning in light of the cost of living crisis, and how people would respond if invited to the celebrations.
94% of couples will be cutting back on their wedding costs to save money, and the first thing to go are the guests
Our study revealed that the majority of engaged couples undertaking wedding planning are preparing to cut costs when it comes to their own nuptials. According to Hitched, the average wedding comes to £18,400, so there’s no surprise that individuals are looking to lower this figure amidst the rising cost of living.
When celebrating a marriage, we may want to invite everyone to join us, however when it comes to cutting costs the first thing to go for couples is the number of guests. Almost half (45%) of those surveyed stated they would cut down on their guestlist in an effort to save money.
The average venue costs £8,400, making it the most expensive part of the wedding so it’s unsurprising that a third (33%) would try to cut down on expenses here. When it comes to décor, 32% also said that they would cut back on their flower budget for the big day.
| The top elements that those planning a wedding during the cost of living crisis would cut back on to save money | % |
|---|---|
| The number of guests invited | 45% |
| The venue | 33% |
| Flowers | 32% |
| Stag/hen do’s | 28% |
| Wedding party transport | 25% |
| Choosing a less popular season/date | 22% |
| Wedding planner | 22% |
| Guest’s meals | 21% |
| Reception drinks | 20% |
| Bridesmaid dresses | 20% |
When it comes to the all-important stag or hen do, 28% of those surveyed stated that they would be willing to cut back on the spending for this to save money – goodbye Vegas!
Travel from the ceremony to the reception party can also ramp up potential costs, with a quarter of (25%) of Brits admitting to looking at cheaper transport alternatives for their wedding party.
Despite the average wedding dress costing £1,350, this does not make the top list of elements to cut down on, as just 18% of respondents would cut back on their wedding dress. Even less would consider cutting back on their wedding rings budget, with just 14% considering doing so.
Cost cutting measures wedding guests will take include outfit repeating, skipping the hen do and buying cheaper gifts
When asked if they were invited to a wedding this or next year, 85% of Brits said they would take some cost cutting measures. Over four in ten (42%) would wear something they already own to avoid buying a new outfit for the occasion, making this the most popular way that individuals would choose to cut costs.
Even though pre-wedding parties are a long-standing British tradition, a quarter of those surveyed (25%) said that they would abandon the stag or hen do in an effort to save money. It’s been previously reported that the average hen and stag do can set a wedding guest back by £242, and so Brits can save a pretty penny from skipping this part of the wedding celebrations.
| Top ways people would save money if invited to a wedding this or next year | % |
|---|---|
| Wearing something they already own to save on a new outfit | 42% |
| Not attending the hen or stag do | 25% |
| Spending less on a wedding gift for the couple | 23% |
| Booking cheap accommodation | 22% |
| Driving to the venue to avoid getting a taxi | 20% |
| Only attending the wedding ceremony | 18% |
| Declining the wedding invitation | 17% |
| Only attending the wedding reception | 16% |
| Sharing travel or accommodation with other guests | 15% |
| Not drinking at the reception | 12% |
For the less materialistic individuals, the third most popular way to save cash would be to spend less on the happy couple as almost a quarter (23%) said they opt to give cheaper wedding gifts.
A third (33%) said they would skip some part of the wedding, almost one in five (18%) would skip out on the reception and just attend the wedding ceremony, while 16% would opt for the opposite and just head to the reception.
Perhaps luckily for those looking to cut down on guests to save money, over one in six (17%) of those invited to a wedding this or next year would choose to decline the invitation all together in a bid to save cash.
Those who reside in Belfast are most likely to skip out on a wedding invite
After analysing our data from a regional perspective, it’s a fair observation to say that the cost of living crisis is forcing Brits nationwide to reconsider their wedding attendance plans.
We discovered that those in Sheffield were found to be the most likely to try and cut costs when attending a wedding this or next year, with 92% of respondents saying that they would attempt this. In comparison, Liverpool residents were the least likely to try to save money, although three quarters (76%) were still keen to do so.
Residents in Cardiff (91%), Manchester (90%), Glasgow (87%) and London (86%) were also among those who are most likely to try and save cash when attending a wedding.
In terms of the cities that are most likely to dig into their pockets for the soon-to-be-weds, those who live in Edinburgh (77%), Southampton (79%), Nottingham (81%) and Newcastle (82%) were the least likely to limit their budget.
We also quizzed Brits to see how many of us would consider completely avoiding wedding attendance in a bid to save money. Our research spotlighted that when it comes to forgoing the wedding all together, Belfast residents were found to be the most likely to cancel plans, as one in five (22%) said they would do this. Following closely behind were Norwich (21%) and London (20%) residents.
Almost a fifth of those who reside in Southampton (19%) and Glasgow (18%) would choose to completely avert the wedding, with 17% of the population also admitting to this in Birmingham and Bristol. In an attempt to save money, one Birmingham resident even said that they would pull a sickie to get out of a wedding this year!
The cities most likely to skip a wedding all together to save money were…
1. Belfast – 22%
2. Norwich – 21%
3. London – 20%
4. Southampton – 19%
5. Glasgow – 18%
6. Birmingham – 17%
7. Bristol – 17%
8. Manchester – 15%
9. Leeds – 14%
10. Nottingham – 14%
How the cost-of-living crisis has affected your wedding plans
“We’re likely planning for our wedding to be 2024 – though if we can sort for the end of this year, watch this space!
When it comes to our ideas for the day, like many other brides and grooms to be, I have a Pinterest board full of gorgeous images that I’ve added to over the years. However, I knew weddings were expensive but don’t think it actually dawned on me how much all these gorgeous, elaborate weddings would rack up to!
Although we’re still making plans, there are quite a lot of ways we’ll look to cut back. I’m planning to do a lot of the prep work myself, and with the help of willing friends and family members.
I’ve considered making the cake myself, it’s something I’ve done for friends and family weddings before, but not entirely sure the stress is worth it for my own!
A good friend of mine offered up the good advice to opt for décor you know will resell. So many of the things you use on your wedding day get used once and then are popped away for safe keeping and then never looked at again. I’m all for sentiment and there will definitely be things we keep from the day, but it’d be nice to think certain items can be reused and enjoyed at other people’s weddings too.
The one thing I’ve been told not to cut back costs on is a photographer and I feel that this is probably one of the things we’ll try not to reduce budget on, but we’ll see.
Numbers wise, we’re definitely thinking about a more intimate list of guests, but this works well as neither of us really enjoy being in the spotlight.
I used to think I wanted a big wedding, with lots of friends and family, big barn, lots of glitter and fuss, and whilst I’d still love to incorporate some of that into our big day, both my fiancé and me are actually really excited at the concept of a more intimate wedding.
For us, the ridiculous amounts of money on one day just didn’t sit right, nor could we really afford it. Don’t get me wrong, we’ll make it plenty beautiful and filled with magic, but at the same time, neither of us now feel we want to spend buckets of cash for a single day. It’s one of those where if we spent tens of thousands on the wedding, then we’d have to scrimp and save elsewhere, or compromise quite substantially on other exciting things we’d like to do.”
Conclusion
Every element of a wedding can add up to a huge total expense, and with the cost of living still high, it’s clear to see that some parts are more important to us than others when it comes to the big day.
Large weddings with big guestlists may be swapped out for more intimate ceremonies, and budget for certain expenses may be reallocated to other elements that each couple deems more important.
Though it’s not just the engaged couples that incur these costs, as those of us invited to weddings during the cost of living crisis also have to shell out on transport, accommodation and gifts. Therefore, it’s not surprising that as budgets are squeezing, some of us are having to turn down our invites altogether.
Despite the stress that can be brought on by high costs, wedding planning should ultimately be an enjoyable experience for the happy couple to share. Whether it’s finding the perfect dress, or searching for a life-long engagement ring, it’s important to savour the excitement of the lead up to your wedding, even when this requires budgeting wisely.
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