Guests have yet another reason to tick the “I will not attend” box on gold-embossed wedding invitations as the cost of attending continues to soar, new research finds. But the bride and groom are also spending more on guests in an effort to avoid a sea of empty seats on their big day.
This year, guests are expected to spend an average of $592 per wedding, up 10% from $539 per wedding last year and a 75% jump in just two years, according to details of a new American Express survey of 1,500 Americans released Wednesday.
That includes the pre-wedding party, transportation, hotel, clothing, accessories, and personal grooming – but excludes the cost of gifts. “Americans are getting more comfortable with having an expensive wedding, which does put the onus on guests to spend more too,” says David Rabkin, senior vice president of consumer lending at American Express.
Read Quentin Fottrell‘s full story at MarketWatch.
