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Irish Wedding News

21/07/2014

Wedding Costs Soar For Travelling Guests

The average cost of attending a wedding abroad is now twice as much as being a guest at a wedding in the UK, a new survey has found. A guest at a wedding abroad is expected to pay up to £564 in costs, compared to just £247 in the UK.

The research, which has been commissioned by Confused.com, also revealed that – despite the price tag – 10% of people are planning to attend a wedding abroad within the next year. It isn't all happy travels though, as 14% of respondents said they would not travel abroad for a wedding, no matter who it was tying the knot, while 59% said they prefer to remain in the UK when attending a wedding.

Perhaps not surprisingly, 39% of respondents said it is a large request to ask guests to travel abroad for someone's wedding, with one in seven (13%) saying they do not want to waste their holiday allowance and pay a lot of money to only see the bride and groom for a few hours.

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For those guests that do decide to travel, comprises are made. For example, 9% admitted that if they do travel for a wedding, and because they are paying their own flights and accommodation, they no longer feel the need to buy the happy couple a gift. A further 10% of those polled felt that the bride and groom should actually subsidise their guests' costs. Some 12% of couples planning to marry abroad this year admitted they are subsidising their guests.

The reasons for getting hitched abroad vary for couples, but an honest 25% said it was so they didn't have to invite every family member to the ceremony, while one in six (15%) felt that it caused less arguments. The same amount said cost was the main factor, with getting married abroad being cheaper and getting better value for money. Just over a third of couples (34%) getting married abroad confessed they chose to do so because they wanted good weather on their big day.

Elsewhere, the most popular wedding destinations are said to be the Caribbean (19%), Australia (12%), American (10%), Canada (8%) and Cyprus (8%).

Sammy-Lea Samways, Head of Travel Insurance at Confused.com, commented: "The idea of getting away from it all to wed abroad seems to be a popular concept; the lower costs of an overseas wedding being an important factor for many.

"However, destination weddings can often be difficult for invited guests because of the price and time involved. It can pose the dilemma of a costly trip abroad versus the desire to see the happy couple get married.

"Combining the wedding trip with the annual holiday could be a good way that guests could save money. And whether you're a guest at a wedding or the bride and groom, we would always advise making sure you have adequate travel insurance, just in case the worst was to happen."

(JP/IT)

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"The average cost of attending a wedding abroad is now twice as much as being a guest at a wedding in the UK, a new survey has found."