Did you know that a quarter of Brits having been invited to at least one wedding this year? And that the average guest cost of attending being £400+ for the day alone? At Diffuse Retail, we conducted some research amongst 2,000 nationally representative UK adults just last month, in order to understand the impact of the upcoming wedding season, on both our wardrobes and our wallets. What we discovered was fascinating!
Over a quarter of brits (28%) have been invited to a wedding this year, with those in London and West Midlands most likely to have received an invite (43% and 32% respectively). As well as those aged 18-34 years old, amongst which, nearly 1 in 2 (48%) have been invited to at least one wedding in 2024.
And it's no surprise really, but the research confirmed that attending a wedding can be a significant expense, not just for the happy couple, but also for the guests. With those planning to attend a wedding this year, estimating they will spend an average of £444 across travel, accommodation, the gift, food & drinks and the outfit for the day. Can you believe it?!
Among those planning to attend a wedding this year, a gift for the happy couple and travel to the venue were the most common expenses (both 96%). However, buying a new outfit is the biggest expense at an average £97.50, followed closely by accommodation at an average £97.30. And interestingly the West Midlands falls in to the top 3 regions spending most on an outfit for the big day in England :
London - £106.40
North East - £107.10
West Midlands - £100.80
For those planning to spend money on their wedding outfit, nearly half (45%) will do so by buying something new, while 40% plan to wear an outfit they already have. It is still only17% that plan to rent an outfit especially for the occasion. This split differs greatly by gender, where men are generally more accustomed to the idea of rental (24% vs 11% of women).
So why are men more open to the idea - is it simply because it's been an option available to them for longer. Perhaps. But there are also a number of other rental myths that need to be busted! As amongst those women who are not yet considering renting their outfit, 71% are open to it. It is these simple things still holding them back:
Not knowing where to rent from – 29%
Wanting to try the outfit on – 29%
Worry about the cleanliness of the items – 29%
Fear of breaking or staining the item – 27%
Fear the item wouldn’t arrive on time – 18%
This is where here at Diffuse Retail, we have good news for all those women nervous about the idea of rental; the physicality of the store means that you can try on and choose the outfit in advance, pick it up steamed and ready to wear the day before the event - with dry cleaning and minor repairs also being handled by the store. Eradicating all of the top worries about a rental prospect. Easy-peasy!
So now you know where and you have no strong reason not to try rental, then why not save yourself some money this wedding season? Join the #rentalrevolution and #rentyourweddingguestdress
*Research was conducted between 12th – 15th March 2024, via an online survey, amongst 2,000 nationally representative UK adults, conducted by accredited global research company Opinium Research.
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