3 On Your Side: The Costs Of Attending Weddings
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Wedding season is almost upon us, and if you've got a few invitations on your calendar this summer, expect to spend more to celebrate the bride and groom's big day. So 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan has some advice for saving some cash.
It's not cheap to throw a wedding, but it's becoming more costly to be a guest, too. American Express estimates more than 67 million Americans will attend at least one wedding this year and they say the average guest will spend $592 dollars per wedding on travel, gifts and attire, up ten percent over last year.
An early start can help guests trim costs on both gifts and on travel. Reasonably priced gifts tend to be the first items snagged on a wedding registry so buy early or consider sharing the cost of a big-ticket item with someone else.
Book plane tickets as soon as you RSVP and while a block of hotel rooms may be set aside for wedding guests, shop around to make sure it's really the best deal in town.
Want to avoid wearing the same thing once, twice or three times to weddings when you know the photos most likely will be posted on Facebook or Twitter? You may want to look into renting an outfit from a designer rental site, rather than buying. It's an option brides might want to consider for wedding attendants too, since bridesmaids dresses, rarely get a second wear.
A survey of last year's weddings by the Knot wedding website found that brides and grooms are spending more too. The average couple spent $220 dollars per guest on food, entertainment, and more.