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1 in 3 Americans declining wedding invites due to cost, survey finds

By Megan Ziegler
Published  September 4, 2024 1:59pm EDT
Money
Fox TV Stations

How much does a wedding cost?

Zola's director of communications shares how much U.S. couples are spending, on average, for weddings, and what they're most willing to splurge on.

The Brief

    • Attending a wedding is another financial burden taking a toll on Americans. 
    • A recent survey found nearly 1 in 3 Americans have already skipped a wedding this year because it was too expensive to attend.

As wedding costs continue to trend upward, the logistics are taking a financial toll on another unexpected source - the guests. 

A new survey of over 1,000 Americans found that more than half (54%) feel weddings are becoming unaffordable for guests. 

RELATED: Survey: Gen Z, millennial couples say it's too expensive to get married

FILE - People at the banquet table at a wedding. Getty Images

Wedding costs for guests

On average, Americans said they spend the following to attend a wedding: 

  • $360 for a local wedding
  • $901 for an out-of-town wedding
  • $1,131 if they’re in the wedding party

So far this year, nearly 1 in 3 people (29%) said they’ve skipped a wedding because it was too expensive to attend. 

And about 27% said they’d turned down a wedding invitation because they didn’t have close enough ties with the bride and groom. 

RELATED: Here's how much money you need to feel 'rich' in 2024

Can you attend a wedding without giving a gift? 

Nearly 3 in 5 (59%) survey respondents also think it’s okay to attend a wedding without giving a gift. 

Broken down by generation, 72% of Gen Z are comfortable skipping the gift, compared to just 44% of baby boomers. 

Additionally, 42% of those surveyed said they don’t send a gift if they decide not to go to a wedding.

The Source

  • In July 2024, DatingNews.com surveyed 1,024 Americans about their wedding etiquette. Over half (51%) of survey respondents were women, 47% were men, and 2% were non-binary or would rather not say. Survey respondents ranged in age from 18 to 78, with an average age of 44. Of those surveyed, 25% were Gen Z, 26% were millennials, 25% were Gen X, and 24% were baby boomers. Information in this article was used from the survey’s findings. This story was reported from Detroit.