A third of people decline wedding events as guests cut costs on celebrations

• Guests are declining invitations and spending less across the board.
• Spend decreases for weddings and civil ceremonies can be seen across most categories, with the biggest drops in food and drink, pre-wedding events, new clothing and accessories, and gifts.
• MoneyHelper’s free tools and guidance help spread the costs of being a wedding guest.

One in three UK adults turn down wedding events, such as stag and hen dos, or engagement parties, due to the cost, new figures show.

Startling research from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) reveals people are watching their wallets more than ever and spending less to attend the weddings and civil ceremonies of their nearest and dearest.

Guests now spend £613 on average on the big event, down 11% from £692 last year, and attended just under two celebrations on average in the past 12 months, compared with three in MaPS’ previous survey.

This puts the average annual cost of attending weddings and civil ceremonies at £1,200, compared with £2,000 last year, a colossal 40% fall year on year

Spending fell across most categories, with the biggest drops seen in food and drink on the day, pre-wedding events, new clothing and accessories, and gifts.

Four in ten 25-34-year-olds (40%) declined at least one wedding-related event due to cost, highlighting the financial balancing act many face as they juggle social commitments, family responsibilities, and everyday living costs.

Last year, MaPS reported that this age group attended between 2-3 weddings or civil ceremonies on average, spending roughly £740 per event and totalling a costly bill of around £1,500-£2,250.

This year however, the 25-34-year-old cohort only attended around two, and spent £656 per event, totalling £1,312 – a saving of up to £900 and up to a 42% reduction in spend.

Younger guests are also making trade-offs. Among 18-24-year-olds, one in four (25%) did not spend anything on a gift. Yet this same age group incurs some of the highest costs outside of the big day, spending more than any generation on engagement parties and other pre-wedding events.

Abigail Fedorovsky, Budgeting Lead at the Money and Pensions Service says:

“As budgets become more stretched, many people are cutting back on non-essentials – including weddings and civil ceremonies.

"But even with spending down on last year, being a wedding guest can still come with a significant price tag.

"Simple steps such as booking travel early, sharing accommodation or transport costs, re-wearing or buying second-hand outfits, agreeing spending limits for gifts, and shopping around for the best deals can all make a difference.

"Whatever the occasion, life's biggest moments should be remembered for the memories they create, not the money worries they cause."

MaPS research also found that women pay on average £632 to attend weddings and civil ceremonies, compared to men who pay £589.

The figures further show that members of the bridal party typically pay significantly more than regular guests, on average spending £806 per event, compared with £510 for others.

Costs can also vary depending on the cultural or religious traditions involved in the celebration.

For example, some Asian and African weddings and civil partnerships involve evenings such as Henna nights and other pre-wedding events. These can increase the cost for guests, where a different traditional outfit is typically worn for each of the celebrations.

MoneyHelper offers free guidance and practical tools, such as the Budget Planner and Savings Calculator which can help people work out what wedding-related costs they can afford, set realistic spending limits, plan ahead for expenses like travel, outfits, and gifts, and generally stay in control of their finances.

Visit MoneyHelper.org.ukOpens in a new window.

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• “Pre-wedding celebrations” refers to events such as engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, and any other meals / celebrations.
• All interviewing was carried out online using the same consumer insight agency and online panels used in 2025.
• People were asked about a number of different events that they may have attended in the past 12 months so that it was not obvious that we were looking for wedding guests.
• The demographic profile of the people interviewed in 2026 is very similar to 2025.

• MoneyHelperOpens in a new window offers free, impartial help for money and pensions that’s quick to find, easy to use and backed by government.
• The service offers clear guidance online, over the phone and face-to-face and also points users to trusted services, if they need more support.  
• MoneyHelper was launched in June 2021 as a consumer-facing service to offer free and impartial money and pensions guidance.
• It brings together the support and services of three former government-backed financial guidance providers: Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise.