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Hi ladies-
I know there has been posts on guest cost to attend a destination wedding in the past- but I was hoping to get an average acceptable cost.
So, tell me, what's the most you'd pay to attend a friend's wedding (let's say not best friend, but very close friend)?
I voted for $501-$1000...with the economy the way it is, travelling just for a wedding isn't really the best thing right now. We'd have to be really close to the couple to even consider going.
If i want to attend a wedding, I attend it. I don't assign a $ value on it. I may adjust how much i can give for a gift if i've spent a ton of air / hotel, but I basically choose which weddings to attend based on my relationship to the couple, and not convenience to me.
I also voted for 500-1k, just because in general, we don't have a lot of money to spare and you didn't say how far in advance we'd know of it. But like melissabegins said-- if we want to attend, we'd attend. For our closest friends we'd make it work, and maybe with other less-close friends, we just wouldn't go.
Honestly, right now I wouldn't be able to afford a $500 wedding without having to dip into savings (which I'm not willing to do). I'd give a kick-@$$ gift instead, but with my work schedule and lack of cash flow, it just wouldn't be possible. One of my friends just got engaged last night, and I know I'm looking at a wedding in New York state next year and already starting to dread the finances for that. Some of us simply don't have the money for that right now with the economy being what it is.
I didn't vote because there are too many "what ifs" here. If it was right now, I wouldn't be able to do much, since I'm planning my own wedding and don't have money to spare. If it was down the road, I'd have more available. And if the wedding works out to be able to be a vacation for us as well as going to the wedding, then even more. And would totally depend on which friend it is as to how much I'd spend, and exactly how close this close friend is. Wow. That was like zero help for you. Sorry! 
i kind of think of it this way - the majority of my friends are around the same age, and in the same point in life. Last year, this year, and probably next year = The Year of the Weddings. This year there were/are 8, including mine. ouch. But you know what? in 3 years, it'll be all quiet on that front. I'd rather bust my toosh and make these work so i can have those memories, and save more $ later. I moved away from my home turf, so all weddings are destination weddings for me. I just rewear my dresses for weddings in different friend groups and no one is the wiser! Plus, with the exception of a (my first) brand name purse (at an outlet though, i'm working on it), I don't really like spending money, so all my extra money goes toward travel and experiences. It's just where my priorities are right now.
I think it really depends on whose wedding it is! Most weddings I've attended lately I've been a bridesmaid for as well, which significantly ups the ante on cost. A wedding I was in right here in NYC had to cost me $1,000 all-in, shower gifts, bachelorette, etc all included. But again as others have said, if it's my friend and I want to attend, I'll find a way. I say this also as someone who is having a pseudo-destination wedding next year, is unemployed, and is somehow traveling to a wedding I'm a part of across the country this January, so take that as you will!
This is a good poll/question!
I also am having a destination wedding. We have 35 people coming. For a 4 day 3 night trip, air fare, hotel and all inclusive its $800. (Jamaica) and we are all staying at a 4 star hotel that has excellent food/service/ and activities.
I thought that was a reasonable price for a 4 day weekend in Paradise :)
I said $500-$1000. My cousin had what I would consider a "destination wedding" last year (we're all from NY and he had it near his FI's family in Michigan) It was going to cost FI and I well over $1000 to go and we just had to say no. I felt bad, but it was just a lot.
It depends on whose wedding it is and where it is. If it's a neat place and we'd make a vacation out of it, then I would say more in the $3-4 K range since that's what we typically spend for vacations. If it's just a weekend thing, $500 or under is my limit.
I voted $500-$1K but it would have to be a really close friend, be somewhere I actually want to go, and I would have to be able to make a mini vacation out of it if it is going to cost that much.
It depends on a lot of factors, but probably $500-$1000. This is with the understanding that after everything is said and done it's probably going to be around $2000.
My boyfriend and I talk about this all the time. I want a DW and he really doesn't care either way. We just don't want to ask people to overextend themselves. Most of my friends that I have asked said that they would attend and just look at it as a "summer vacation". We wouldn't expect any gifts at all. It may be a little harder for family to afford. We said that we would not ask anyone to pay over $600.
The one thing you have to take into consideration is where the DW is and what your guests enjoy. I would definetly be willing to pay more if I was heading some place like Europe than I would be willing to pay to go to say somewhere in the US.
Our orginal quote to our guests was 1500 per person for a 7 nights stay in a all inclusive 5 star in the Riviera Maya + airfare from MI. Everyone thought it was a great price. Now that we closer and have the actually pricing it is looking more like 1100-1200 per person and everyone is so happy that some are taking the difference and staying extra time.
Is it bad to say it depends where it is? It's true! Of course it also depends on how close we are to the couple. But say the wedding is in Mexico and we can make a vacation of it. We'd spend more to get there. If it's in, say, Texas (no offense!) and we wouldn't want to make a vacation of it, we'd spend less to get there.
We have a destination wedding in February of very close friends in Mexico. We are all staying in a villa for 5 nights and we'll probably go down a day or so earlier and stay in a hotel. We're taking this as our winter vacation and, depending on how expensive our flights are, the trip will probably be around $2000 for my husband and I combined.
yep! we took a vacation to southern california for a week for a wedding. it was fantastic! We really went everywhere, and had a fabulous time. I could use another DW soon - maybe London? Mexico? Belize? ;) That's the trick - have it somewhere people want to spend money on!
Exactly! Who from New England doesn't want to make the effort to go to Puera Vallerta in the middle of February?
Especially in this economy, I think something that would really help is if you booked an all inclusive place. If this drives the price a little over the $1000 threshhold that it seems like everyone has for air + hotel, this would make the wedding a little more desirable to attend.
As much as I'm sure many people would really love to see you marry at a beautiful/ exotic location, I'm not sure how practical it is to expect everyone to spend thousands to do it with the way the economy is. No one wants to spend $1000 on air and hotel for 2 days. Then again if you made a week long trip out of it, then you are asking your family and friends to take an entire week off of work and perhaps use your wedding as their one vacation of the year.
Personally, I would travel to a destination wedding of a friend, but I know of a number of friends who have said thanks, but I can't afford it and then just send a gift instead.
for me it depends on where the wedding is and what it has to offer to me and hubby as a wedding is just a few hours and does not make an entire trip for me.
we wouldnt spend money to attend a wedding up in the mountains where all we can do is sit around and drink hot chocolate but we would spend $5K+ to attend a wedding in asia or the south pacific if we can tie it in with a week of scuba diving and exploring
I agree with the others... If the wedding were in Hawaii, cost wouldn't matter. If the wedding is in Northern Michigan in January, I would think twice.
If I'm spending the money on a DW I'd like to get some time to relax & use this time as a vacation. 2 birds, one stone :)
I put 500-1000 because most of the DW's we are being invited to are in the US or Mexico/Islands region. I would say that we do have one wedding in Greece but we will not be attending it as it is 3 days after our wedding. There just isn't enough time in between the two to travel. Plus I don't want to spend my honeymoon at someone else's wedding. I wrote a post about that!
I really think it depends on each person's own $$ status and location. If the wedding was in Mexico flying from Houston to there is cheap but if they are flying from NYC to Mexico it would mean more $$. You need to look at the venue and most guests locations in relation.
I'm assuming you meant per person. I went with 501-1000 just because it sounds a fairly reasonable amount. That being said if it were a close friend and they were getting married in Indonesia (and I was traveling from the UK) I'd probably be willing to spend more.
Hmm, I don't really know. It would totally depend on so many things, including:
- How far in advance did I know about it to plan accordingly for time off and money?
- I hate saying this, but it also depends on where it is. Let's just say that I'd be more willing to put the effort into a wedding that's in Bermuda over a wedding that's in Iceland or something :) And I only say that because I get so few vacays a year, so if the wedding could be our vacay, I'd just go for it.
- How expensive are the airfare and hotel accomodations? If I can get a good deal, I would totally go. But if I'm paying full price for everything, that might make me hold back a little.
Also, if you choose a DW, you just have to know going into it that your RSVP acceptance rate will be lower than average. I think as long as couples know that then there's no reason to worry! In fact, I've known a few couples who purposefully had a DW to keep their guest list down :)
Depends on whose wedding it was and how much money I had. My BFF? I'd pay as much as I had to as long as it wouldn't totally sink me financially. Just an ok-ish friend.... 500-1000 max probably.
I really think it depends on whose wedding it is.
I'm not even going to spend $500 going to one of my husband's coworkers weddings that I've never even met before. If it's a really good friend, I would pay over $500. If it was my little sister, I would pay whatever was needed (within reason of course) to see her get married.
An excuse to be off of work and to take a trip somewhere else? Priceless! If we could leave the country, we would go on the high end if we had enough notice to start saving money.
yeah it depends where... $1000 to Hawaii is a steal, $1000 to Michigan... not so much. I'll do what i can with what i've got though!
So, I voted $500-1000 since personally that's what I would be willing to spend for a friend... but of course I am being a hypocrite since my wedding is going to be in Malaysia, and airfare alone is already around $1500. I don't expect anyone but our very closest friends and immediate family to come (his family is all already there!) .. in fact I don't plan to invite others!
I hate to echo the 'what ifs', but here is kinda how I see it
over $500 -- it would have to be someone we are VERY close to, or somewhere we'd want to vacation, anyway
No matter what, I don't think we'd pay more than a little over $1K. What if you tell people you don't expect them to give you a gift? That coming is their gift? Where are you thinking of holding it?
Also, anyway you can research group discounts for them for airfare & hotels and maybe even pay for one night in the hotel, or at least discount it? I personally never considered a destination wedding, nor have I attended one. So, you should do what you want, but just know you can't make pepole attend, so if you are OK with fewer attendants, then you are good to go!
I voted for $501 - $1000. Is this per person? I hope so, because we are having a destination wedding in Mexico next year (November 2010). I sent my STDs out last month, so people have 13 months to save. We hope our close family and friends can make it but it will cost about $2,000 per couple and we have already heard rumblings of it costing too much.
Well it depends who the friend is!!!But if its a weekend trip then I would say no more than $500.
But like almost everyone else said if its for a week or so then up to $2000.
I voted $500-$1000, but that would be for a close friend or family member. I can count the people I would do that for on both hands. Anyone else, I would probably decline not just because of the expense, but because DWs become a vacation and FI and I would probably rather plan our own vacays!
i voted $2000+ because thats how much i'm expecting people to spend for us after all is said and done. we have a really good deal on our cruise, but after cruise tickets, plane tickets, and spending money. it's going to come out to around $2000. But we completely understand if people can't make it.
For me it wouldn't matter who the friend was, it would depend on what we can afford :( Thank goodness, so far, none of my good friends have gotten married at a DW, because we are so broke that I don't think we would be able to afford to go :(
Oh there are so many factors that go into this. A friend had hers at a reasonably priced resort in Cancun and so many more people accepted the invitation than she expected. Assuming it is a nice sunny location during the winter months and this is a pretty good friend - good enough to maybe do a reading in the ceremony - I could spend up to $1,000
It really depends. I voted between $500 and $1,000. But it depends on destination and the guests of honor. If I was in the wedding, of course it must be a close family or friend, so cost would not be an issue. I'd pay whatever it cost to get there (of course I'd need prompt notice to save for such an expensive trip). However, if it was not someone I was too close with, I would pay maybe $500, again, depending on location. If it were a place I wanted to go... I'm there. Kill two birds with one stone. If an iffy place, like Vegas, I'd only pay about a few hundred bucks and only if it were convenient for me.
I can barely afford to go to ANY wedding right now, so I might not be of much help. But one of my college roommates was married in St. Thomas a few years ago. They'd been living together a while & didn't need much of anything, so instead of gifts or money, her invitation said in bold lettering at the bottom
"Your presence is our present"
Kinda like, we just want you to come - if you spend the cash to come don't bring us a gift. If you're worried about off-setting the cost to your guests you could do the same.
$500 per person if it is for a distant friend, $1000 per person for a close friend, and more for family i think.
It would depend on my circumstances at the time. If it was somewhere that I had been wanting to visit and would be able to take a little vacation after the wedding, I might be willing to spend a bit more. In this economy, after just getting married, and needing a new car sooner than we planned, $500 right now would be a lot.
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