SHROPSHIRE is one of the most expensive places to attend a wedding, according to new figures revealed this week.

Fashion e-retailer Missguided has been crunching the numbers to reveal just how many hours Brits would need to work in order to attend a wedding in the county which came in 10th place overall.

The research revealed it would take just shy of a full working week (37.2 hours)* to cover the average cost of two people attending a wedding which comes in a a hefty £580.75.

But it was neighbouring Cheshire East that topped the list costing £881.83 – the equivalent of 56.5 hours.

Westminster came in at a close second with an average cost of £814.12, equating to 52.2 hours of work; while Manchester was third on the list with average costs of £737.43, which would equal 47.3 hours of work.

Vicky James, head of brand at Missguided, said: “It’s hard to RSVP “no” to a wedding, but the fact it can cost the same as a week’s salary to attend one in the UK definitely puts things into perspective.

"We want to help customers find more affordable options that they can wear to a friend’s wedding and any event after. Our occasion wear is designed with that in mind, so you’re not just buying something you’ll wear once."

To calculate the numbers, average costs were calculated for travel, hotel stays, outfits and even the average cost of an alcoholic beverage, using a number of sources, including Numbeo, SurveyMonkey and ONS data.

From the data it was no surprise that the largest expense in Shropshire for a wedding guest was a man’s suit for a wedding (£196), closely followed by a hotel stay (£140.20), with the cost of a wedding gift coming in as the third most expensive item (£100).

Other expenditures included a new outfit for a woman (£80), five pints of beer (£22.95), a bottle of wine (£21.60) and travel (£20).

Vicky added: “The pandemic has impacted all areas of our lives, especially weddings, with so many couples having to cancel and rebook for this year, average prices have soared.

"We hope we can relieve some of the pressure of finding an outfit or help prevent last-minute splurging, by offering wearable styles that are perfect for all weddings from laid-back ceremonies, to day-two parties or more formal events.”

 

The top ten most expensive places to attend a wedding in the UK:

1. Cheshire East: £881.83 (56.5 hours)

2. Westminster: £814.12 (52.2 hours)

3. Manchester: £737.43 (47.3 hours)

4. Northumberland: £696.80 (45 hours)

5. Cornwall: £688.45 (44.1 hours)

6. Leeds: £627.58 (40.2 hours)

7. Liverpool: £621.33 (40 hours)

8. Birmingham: £597.04 (38.2 hours)

9. County Durham: £586.60 (37.6 hours)

10. Shropshire: £580.75 (37.2 hours)

 

To view the full research and methodology, please visit the landing page click here.

 

*Based on the average national hourly wage