3 million Brits expect to spend £1,000 each attending a wedding abroad this year

Almost a fifth of Brits (18%) – 9.5 million – plan to attend a wedding this year3 million plan to head abroad for the nuptials at a cost of £999, more than double that of those attending weddings in the UK (£398)Over a third of wedding guests (38%) are prepared to spend over £900 to attend the big day overseas  Just under a fifth (19%) of guests say they feel obliged to attend a weddingDespite the high costs associated, 14% of guests never purchase travel insurance

New research by Aviva reveals that 9.5 million Brits plan to attend a wedding this year, with 3 million expecting to head overseas for the big day.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 Brits, reveals that the average guest expects to spend just shy of a thousand pounds (£999) to attend nuptials abroad and £398 to attend a wedding in the UK.

Over a third of those attending weddings abroad (38%) are prepared to spend over £900, with one in 25 (4%) willing to spend as much as £5,000 or more to celebrate a wedding this year.

The cost of being a wedding guest:

Although the cost of being a wedding guest in the UK is less than in 2023, a marginally larger proportion plan to attend a wedding overseas this year. 

The data also shows that men are prepared to spend more than women as guests. When it comes to weddings overseas this year, men expect to spend £1,125 on average, compared to women at £894. This trend continues for weddings in the UK, with men believing they will spend £459 on average, compared to women who think they will spend £340.

When looking at why people attend weddings, just under a fifth (19%) of those surveyed said they feel obliged or felt like they had to attend. Those aged 35-44 are almost twice as likely than those aged 18-24 to cite this as a reason for attending (22% vs 12%), indicating that younger generations may feel less pressure to conform.  

Common wedding destinations include Spain, Italy and France, with some preparing to travel as far as Argentina, India and Qatar for the big day. This could in part explain why over a fifth of those attending weddings overseas (22%) merge holiday plans with the nuptials, with 12% planning a holiday so that it coincides with the wedding itself. A further 10% extend the celebrations by going away with the wedding party afterwards.

The research also indicates that there may be an awareness gap when it comes to travel insurance, with 10% believing that travel insurance would provide cover in the event the nuptials were cancelled, whereas most travel insurance policies would not pay out in this scenario.

Though travel insurance wouldn’t provide cover for cancellation of the wedding itself – or if you decided to no longer attend – it does provide protection for cancelling or cutting short a trip for reasons out of the traveller’s control, such as being unable to travel due to illness. Worryingly, 14% of Brits admit they never take out travel insurance, potentially leaving them exposed if the unexpected happens.

Suzzane Caine, Travel Claims Expert at Aviva, commented: “Though joyous occasions, the cost of attending a wedding can soon add up, easily reaching four figures in many cases.

“It’s interesting to see that despite ambitions to cut costs, such as timing a holiday with the wedding, a large portion of Brits are choosing to travel without cover. Though you wouldn’t be covered if the couple has a change of heart or needed to postpone the wedding, you would be covered if something prevented you from making it to the celebrations such as unexpectedly having to cancel, which according to Aviva data from the last five years, is the most common claim during summer.

“Travel insurance is designed to help you in the case of an unforeseen emergency and by taking out travel insurance as soon as you book your trip, it will give you peace of mind knowing that you are protected, both in the lead up to your trip and while celebrating with the newlyweds.”