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Four weddings equals a financial funeral
MEDIA RELEASE
Four weddings equals a
financial funeral
• Survey reveals 15 per cent of
Kiwis spend more than a thousand dollars a year attending
weddings
• Destination weddings now all the
rage
Auckland, 12 October
2010: It is no secret that tying the knot is a
pricey affair, but, new research from Hotels.com, the global hotel booking
website, has found that even as a wedding guest, Kiwis are
having to dig even deeper into their pockets.
As we head into the New Zealand summer wedding season, Hotels.com found that 15 per cent of Kiwis spend more than one thousand dollars a year attending weddings, once the cost of outfit purchases, gifts, travel and accommodation have been added up.
Adding to the rising cost of attending a wedding is the popular trend for extravagant hens and bucks parties as well as ‘destination’ weddings, held interstate or overseas.
Katherine Birch, Marketing Manager of Hotels.com, says: “The financial burden of attending weddings of friends and families is often underestimated, especially as more and more couples are choosing to have ‘destination’ weddings overseas or interstate”.
The Hotels.com survey also uncovered that well over half (60 per cent) of New Zealanders say that attending a wedding requires them to spend a night away from home. Furthermore, over half (58 per cent) said that they had travelled within New Zealand to attend a wedding and almost two in five Kiwis travelled overseas to witness a loved one say ‘I do’. In a sign that the cost of being a wedding guest is unaffordable for many, almost half of respondents said that they had declined a wedding invitation, at least once, due to the associated costs of attending.
The Pacific Islands ranked as the most popular ‘destination wedding’ location, followed by Europe, Asia, the US and Canada.
Ms Birch said: “A destination wedding is great in that it allows one to catch up with friends as well as include a holiday at the destination itself. Getting a great deal on accommodation can ease the financial burden of attending weddings. Keep an eye out for hotel deals as soon as you receive your invite, as there are lots of outstanding deals available at Hotels.com.”
Ms Birch included, “The key to not breaking the bank is sticking to a wedding guest budget.”
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