Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Save Money as a Wedding Guest with These Sneaky Tips
Jasmine Birtles
22nd Jul 2024
Updated 2nd July 2024
Love them or loathe them, there’s a good chance you may be heading off to a wedding at some point in the next month or so. And, as you probably know from experience, each invite can really put a dent in your finances.
It costs each wedding guest around £1,000 to attend a do, according to an American Express study last year. This might be slightly skewed because of the audience of the survey – the average cost of a gift was £217, which seems rather steep. However, other costs such as £160 for an outfit and accessories isn’t unusual, and once you add in travel and accommodation, plus cash for drinks if it’s not an open bar, and it’s easy to see how it adds up. If you have more than one wedding in a season, your finances will take a significant hit.
We’ve come up with some easy ways you can save money without skimping on the fun!
Rent a Dress
HireStreetUK.com has a ‘wedding guest’ rental section, with maxi dresses starting from £18. Even John Lewis has a special ‘wedding guest’ rental section, with dress rentals costing about one sixth of the price that you’d pay to buy them outright.
You can also rent fascinators on John Lewis’s website. Or, if you like a challenge, make your own using a nice piece of fabric, some feathers and tuille, and an old hair slide. There are loads of tutorials (and even kits for sale) on the internet.
Tips for Men
Guys can also jazz up their out-of-date suit by investing in some inexpensive, head-turning accessories.
You can get 35% off lapel pins, ties and pocket square
s at online retailer Mr Lapel by entering my code Jasmine35 at the checkout. It gives you a third off everything, including sales items!
Save Money on Gifts
There are a few ways to save money on a gift without looking like a cheapskate. First, shop online for deals and discounts to find luxury items for a bargain. Use cashback sites like Topcashback and Quidco to stack your savings, too.
Second, if you know other friends attending the wedding, it could be worth all chipping in for a larger gift together. Many newlyweds would rather have fewer, more luxurious things than lots of small items.
If you’re really hard up, you could talk to the couple about offering your time instead. Perhaps they’re due to move house soon – offer your services as a moving buddy. Or if you’re a dab hand with a paintbrush, help them redecorate their new place. Maybe they have children or pets that need looking after while they go on dates as a newly married couple. Or, you could provide something for the wedding – if you’re a great baker, perhaps you could gift them their wedding cake, for example.
Consider Your Travel and Accommodation Costs
Saving on travel is easy if you’re organised about it. If a group of you are all attending from a similar location (such as from a city to a country hotel wedding venue), arrange a minibus and share the costs. Or, if the wedding is relatively local, choose a designated driver who won’t drink alcohol and get them to drive you home instead of paying for a late-night taxi.
Accommodation costs can quickly rack up, especially if you’re attending a wedding in the middle of the countryside and you’re expected to book rooms at the venue. Make it clear before the engaged couple confirm block booking on rooms whether you will want to take advantage of staying at the venue. It is often cheaper to find a nearby B&B, or even hire a whole house with other friends attending the wedding through sites like Air BnB to help everyone save on costs.
Limit Your Bar Tab
Many couples these days will offer a few drinks included, such as a welcome cocktail and a champagne for the speeches, and leave a cash bar for everything else. This can get costly when you’re buying alcohol, so try to alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Avoid getting into buying rounds with friends too, as when the night carries on it can be easy to forget whose round it is and you’ll end up spending a lot more than you planned!
Say No
Finally, this one might sound like a spoilsport point, but it’s important to remember. If you can’t afford to attend a wedding as a guest, don’t go. Offer to spend time with the couple another time, perhaps picking an activity that will create wonderful memories for them as a newly married couple. For those who are close to the couple getting married, such as immediate relatives or best friends, you should be able to have the conversation about not affording to go. If they really want you there, they will find a way to make sure you can attend, so be honest about it.
So many plans! A lottery ticket – chance of a big win. Lidl £1.50 wonky fruit and veg box.
Books at my charity shop 4 for £1. Put a pound coin in a charity box and feel good all day.
Repeat the following week and still have £1 left for a chocolate bar!
Buy a bottle of wine to share with the family
Large fish and chips.
I’m a fanatic when it comes to competitions, some are postal so I’d spend the £10 on buying 10 second class stamps.
Tea out with a friend
I would put the money towards a cinema treat for the grandsons
I would spend the money on a couple of new books as I love reading, and always have a book on the go.
Do yourself a favour and save thousands in the process, including stress and anxiety, DON’T GET MARRIED!
I’d spend it on a weekend takeaway treat.