Wedding guest costs: How to budget for travel, gifts and attire

(InvestigateTV) — June is peak wedding season, and while couples face significant costs, guests often shoulder a financial burden of their own.

Between travel, hotel blocks, multiple events, gifts and attire, The Knot Guest Study found that, the average cost of attending a wedding is $610.

Cherry Dale, vice president of financial education at Virginia Credit Union, said there are four main cost areas to consider: travel, accommodations, attire and the gift.

Planning ahead is key

“If it’s a local wedding, then you can scratch the travel costs. But if it’s a destination wedding or somewhere out of state or even two hours away, you really need to factor in those costs because they do add up. Have it planned. If it’s six months out, that’s great. If it’s a year away, that’s even better,” Dale said.

She said the longer guests have to plan, the more money they can set aside for the experience. Start budgeting the minute an invitation arrives and be honest with the bride and groom early on.

“Your presence sometimes might be the present for the wedding in and of itself, have open dialog with the people getting married and I think people can be very receptive,” Dale suggested. “Yes, this is a super important day for everyone, but they want their participants in the wedding to be happy and not feel stressed as well.”

Ways to cut costs

She shared several ways to cut back on costs. Guests can rent a car for two families and share the costs of the rental and gas. They can take a train instead of flying or stay with nearby relatives instead of a hotel.

A gift can be meaningful but not expensive. Communication is key and the sooner guests can start to make those plans, the better off they will be.