We know it’s expensive to host a wedding—$31,213 on average, according to the latest numbers from The Knot—and if you’ve ever been a bridesmaid you know that’s an expensive gig. (With the bachelorettes, bridal showers, and bridesmaid dresses alone, it’s no wonder I often ate popcorn for dinner in my 20s.)
But here’s a number that will really make your retirement account cringe: Wedding guests will spend a shocking $673 on average to attend a wedding in 2015—per the latest numbers from the American Express Spending and Saving Tracker—and that’s up from $592 last year.
Of course it doesn’t cost that much to attend every wedding, but of the three weddings I have this summer, one will involve cross-country flights and two will involve hotel stays. And the chances of my buying (or, knowing me, renting) at least three dresses is high. Plus, there’s the not-so-tiny matter of the wedding gift.
And the $673 doesn’t include what you spend on the events leading up to the wedding: those showers and bachelorettes. So, popcorn for dinner, anyone?
What’s the most you’ve spent to attend a wedding?
We went to a wedding in Mexico at a not-all-inclusive resort where I drank many (too many) pina coladas by the pool. That set us back a few bucks. All totally worth it. Viva Mexico!