Getting asked by your friend to support them at their wedding is supposed to be a huge honor. But for Reddit user Narrow-Guitar-4497, it has become a burden.
In a candid post from a few days ago, the guy explained that the ceremony he and his wife were invited to would cost them thousands of dollars to attend, and that's not something they want to spend so much money on. Which is a shame because he really wants to be there for the couple.
However, the more he looks at the financial spreadsheets, the less sense they make.
Every couple has the right to have the wedding ceremony that they want
Image credits: Leeloo The First / Pexels (not the actual photo)
However, this groomsman believes that his friend is asking too much of him
Image credits: Kaboompics.com / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Nathan Dumlao / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Narrow-Guitar-4497
Image credits: George Chambers / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Weddings are getting more expensive to attend
Based on a study of 1,000 guests who have been to at least one wedding in person in 2023, the average cost per attendance was $580, an increase of $120 compared to 2021.
Of course, the figure fluctuates depending on the location, the type of wedding, the guest's relation to the couple, and other factors.
For context, the average guest spent $250 to attend a wedding in their hometown (that didn't require travel or lodging), and the average cost to attend a destination wedding for those who drove out of town was approximately $680.
However, the ceremony our Redditor was invited to is definitely on the expensive side because guests who flew to attend a wedding reported the average cost of the trip to be around $1,600.
His concerns are perfectly understandable. The study also discovered that 85% of respondents viewed price as the most important feature when deciding where to book their accommodations. Of the 63% who paid for accommodations, just over half stayed in a hotel, while 16% booked a vacation rental (like Airbnb or VRBO), and 8% chose to stay in a traditional bed-and-breakfast or inn.
The study's results also revealed that the main reasons guests didn't stay in the lodging recommended by the couple is because they wanted lower cost options or preferred to stay with friends/family.
When you already need to dress up, find the right gift, and put aside time to attend a wedding, dishing thousands of additional dollars just to get there is certainly something only a few of us can afford (or want).
The entry fee for those who choose not to stay at the couple's recommended hotel isn't winning anyone over, either.
Matthew Shaw, the founder of Sauveur, a wedding planning company in London, says that selling tickets "introduces a strange relationship between you and your guests, turning your guests into customers."
He adds, "You're no longer hosting — you're offering them a paid experience, which introduces a very different narrative in terms of what guests are expecting."
As the story went viral, people expressed their support for the groomsman and said he's definitely entitled to refuse to go
