Single wedding guests spend $273 more than couples, new study shows: ‘I'm still giving a $100 gift'

Dana Saydak estimates she's been to about 40 or 50 weddings.

"There was one weekend where I went to two or three," the 33-year-old tells CNBC Make It.

Saydak, who works in tech sales in Chicago, says that since she's started dating she's attended about half of the weddings single and half partnered.

"Women being single at a wedding is going to be exponentially more expensive," she says.

Indeed, a single female guest will spend $480 attending a wedding, while a partnered one will spend $292, according to a new report by CouponBirds. Single men spend $442 per wedding compared to partnered ones who spend $254. 

The costs associated with being a wedding guest — gifts, accommodations, parties — don't change based on your relationship status. Those partnered can pool money for hotel rooms and presents, while single guests are often expected to attend the same number of events with half the budget.

On average, single people spend $273 more to go to a wedding than those in a relationship.

'I'm still giving a $100 gift'

"Single wedding guests may find themselves incurring higher expenses compared to those attending with a plus-one because they are responsible for covering accommodations and gifts individually," says Allison Cullman, wedding expert and vice president of brand marketing at Zola. 

Even if the wedding is local and you don't need to pay for a hotel room, transportation costs can add up, says Hannah Nowack, a senior editor at The Knot.

"Ubers to wedding events covered by one person, rather than multiple, will put a greater financial burden on that single person," she says.

Those attending solo might feel pressure to get a wedding present of comparable value to those who are partnered.

"I don't think the expectations have shifted in any capacity [when you attend single]," Saydak says. "I'm still giving a $100 gift." 

The cost differentiation is especially pronounced for destination weddings, which Saydak says many of her friends have been opting for in recent years. 

"As I'm getting older, every single one of these weddings is getting further from where I live," she says. "There are more events, and they are putting them at a higher price point as far as where they are going." 

More than one-third, 36%, of couples planned to have destination weddings, according to a 2024 Zola report.

Sarah Pearlman, 31, estimates she's attended between 15 and 20 weddings, a handful of which have been destination ceremonies.

"I think the travel is really the big issue and travel can be way more expensive single," Pearlman, who is an emergency room doctor in Boston, says.

"You have to get transport from the plane to wherever the hotel is then to the wedding. You are invited to stay at the hotel with the wedding block, but that's often a pricier room."

'Consider which wedding events are must-attend'

There are ways to curb spending as a wedding attendee, Cullman says.

"Consider which wedding events are must-attend and which ones you could skip to save on costs," she says. Perhaps you don't need to go to the bridal shower if you're flying to the bachelorette party.

You can also save money on a wedding present by asking others to chip in on a bigger item, Nowack says.

"Group wedding gifts aren't just for married and dating folks," she says. "Single guests can make the most of them as well. If there is a big-ticket item on the couple's wedding registry, consider asking another single friend to go in on the present together."

If accommodations are necessary, don't hesitate to reach out to a fellow single attendee to see if they want to board together.

"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."

While partnered, Pearlman attended a wedding in India alone. "My partner felt like the cost was too much to go to India," she says.

However, she was able to defray costs by rooming with friends.

"That was very expensive, but there were 50 of us going," she says. "Being able to split a hotel room was very helpful."

The best way to not overspend at a wedding is to create a budget and stick to it, says Jen Glantz, founder of Bridesmaid for Hire.

"That should include all the pre-wedding events," Glantz told Make It in June. "That budget shouldn't be what anyone else tells you."

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