More than half, 56%, of Americans would decline a wedding invitation from a close friend or family member if they felt they couldn’t afford it, according to a recent Bank of America survey. And it appears that the older a person is, the more comfortable they are saying “no.”
Gen Z and millennials are less likely than Gen X and Boomers to skip the nuptials.
The choice to celebrate doesn’t have to be all or nothing, though, experts say. There are ways to attend a wedding and stick to a tight budget.
Here are three ways to curb spending as a wedding guest.
1. Don’t attend all events.
Wedding events, like a bridal shower or dress shopping can start far before the nuptials. You likely don’t need to be there for every single one, Allison Cullman, wedding expert and vice president of brand marketing at Zola, told CNBC Make It.
“Consider which wedding events are must-attend and which ones you could skip to save on costs,” she says. If the bachelorette party is out of town, maybe you can skip the bridal shower or rehearsal dinner.
Consider which wedding events are must-attend and which ones you could skip to save on costs.
Allison Cullman
wedding expert and vice president of brand marketing at Zola
2. Pool money for a group gift.
Wedding registries often have a range of products at different price points. If you know your present budget is on the lower side, ask other guests if they’d be willing to chip in on one of the pricier gifts, Hannah Nowack, a senior editor at The Knot, told CNBC Make It.
“This is a nice option whether or not you’re on a tight budget,” she says. “Maybe there is a big gift, like an espresso machine or a honeymoon couple’s massage, that you want to gift to the couple but know that doing so alone would be outside your budget.”
3. Reach out to friends to split accommodations.
In 2024, 36% of couples planned to have destination weddings, according to a Zola Report, a choice which tacks on hotel costs for attendees.
If you’re not partnered of don’t get a plus one with whom you can split accommodations, do some research on who else is attending the wedding, Nowack says. More than likely there will be another single person looking to defray costs.
“If a good single friend of yours will also be at the wedding and you’re both comfortable going halfsies on a hotel room, by all means, do it,” Nowack says. “If doing so is the difference between being able to attend the wedding in a financially responsible way and having to RSVP “no,” the decision to split should be simple.”
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