Average wedding guest spend ‘set to increase by 18% in 2023’

The average wedding guest is set to spend more than £1,000 this year, a survey indicates.

Those attending a wedding in 2023 anticipate spending £1,045 on average per wedding, according to American Express.

This is an 18% jump compared with the average spend people were anticipating when similar research was carried out in 2022.

Wedding guests were expecting to spend £883 on average last year.

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

Gifts for the newlywed couple will be the biggest expense for wedding guests in 2023, the survey 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 that guests are planning to make this year.

Accommodation is the second biggest anticipated cost for guests, at £203.90 on average.

Wedding guests expect to spend around a third (32%) more on accommodation this year than they did in 2022, the research found.

In addition to increasing guest spend this year, the average number of guests per wedding is expected to rise in 2023.

The research found that the average guest count for weddings in 2023 is 74, increasing from 66 in 2022.

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

Some 2,000 people were surveyed across the UK by Opinium in March 2023.

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

Here are the top five average expenses anticipated by wedding guests in 2023, according to American Express:

1. Gifts for the couple, including cash gifts, £217.90

2. Accommodation, £203.90

3. Childcare, £202.70

4. Travel, £196.20

5. Outfits and accessories, £160.30