New research commissioned by leading fashion e-retailer Missguided has revealed how many hours Brits would need to work in order to attend a UK wedding.

The research revealed it would take a staggering 44 hours of work* (equivalent to just over a full week of work), with the average cost of attending a UK wedding coming out at an eye-watering £685.81.**

To calculate this number, 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 for a wedding guest was a hotel stay (£228.83), closely followed by a man’s suit for a wedding (£196), 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), a bottle of wine (£35) five pints of beer (£26.63) and travel (£19.35).

The research also found that Cheshire East was the most expensive place in the UK to attend a wedding. The average cost in the borough worked out at an astonishing £881.83 which equates to 56.5 hours of work, based on the UK average hourly wage.

Discussing the results, 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.

“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:

Cheshire East: £881.83 (56.5 hours)

Westminster: £814.12 (52.2 hours)

Manchester: £737.43 (47.3 hours)

Northumberland: £696.80 (45 hours)

Cornwall: £688.45 (44.1 hours)

Leeds: £627.58 (40.2 hours)

Liverpool: £621.33 (40 hours)

Birmingham: £597.04 (38.2 hours)

County Durham: £586.60 (37.6 hours)

Shropshire: £580.75 (37.2 hours)