The cost of a typical Irish wedding is rising to €35,000 as rising inflation pushes up the price of the big day.
According to the wedding website, Weddingsonline.ie, the average amount a couple can currently spend on their wedding is €29,812.
“I think the average cost of an Irish wedding will be between €33,000 and €35,000 next year – as prices go up,” said Jonathan Bryan, commercial director of weddingsline.e. “The current Ukraine crisis and other issues have resulted in price increases across the board – and the marriage sector is not exempt. This is due to the increase in food cost.
The couple, finally set to tie the knot this year, when the pandemic forced them to delay their wedding, may be somewhat untouched by the rising inflation of recent months – until their hotel and wedding. Suppliers respect their original quotation. However many couples are finding that hotels and suppliers may not honor the prices originally quoted – and they now have to pay between 5 pcs and 10 pcs more (or even more). Such price increases – if applied to wedding meals – could add thousands to the wedding bill. Some wedding venues have even raised the cost of rooms for guests.
Tara Fey Events Wedding Planner Tara Fey said, “One of the challenges for many venues is that many couples who signed contracts with a venue in 2017, 2018 or 2019 are only now getting closer to their wedding. ” “So the contract [for weddings being held this year] Must have been signed four or five years ago. Couples who have put forward marriages are probably in a good position – because they are doing so under an old contract. Anyone who is booking a new wedding today may face a higher cost.”
Even if you were getting married this year under a contract signed before the pandemic, your wedding venue or supplier may be within their rights to increase its prices. Your contract may include a clause that allows your location or supplier to increase its prices because of issues beyond its control — or for other reasons.
“Suppliers are reluctant to raise costs if the contract is signed,” Fey said. “But a lot of supplier costs have gone up because of higher fuel costs etc.”
So what would you do if you had to postpone your wedding due to the pandemic and are now facing bills that are much higher than you expected or budgeted for your big day?
check small print
Check Your Contract If your wedding venue or supplier has told you it has to increase its prices – you may be able to argue that the contract does not allow for a change in price.
agreement on flowers
“Many florists who quoted for a specific arrangement a few years ago are now going back to the couple and explaining that it is not possible to make the same arrangement with the quotes originally given – because florists around the world There is a shortage and the cost of flowers has gone up exceptionally,” Fay said.
Varying your choice of flowers — or the number of flower arrangements originally planned — can help reduce costs. For example, roses, carnations or freesias will usually cost you much less than peonies, orchids and gardenias.
share expenses
Explore whether it’s an option to share your flower bills — or other expenses — with another couple’s wedding on the same day or weekend. “In America, couples are starting to share the cost of the wedding,” said wedding planner Peter Kelly, who runs Weddings by Frank. “So if three couples are going to the same church on the same day, for example, they can share the expenses that come with the church.”
cut the bubbly
Wine prices are rising – largely due to higher shipping and energy costs, increased material costs (such as bottles and packaging) and a poor wine harvest in Europe in 2021.
“Not all hotels will, on a contractual basis, pass on rising alcohol costs to wedding customers,” Fay said.
Cutting out a glass of bubbly for guests after a meal — or any Champagne drink reception you may have planned — is one way to keep your beverage bill under control if your wine costs more than you expect. Another way to keep your beverage bill down is to bring your own wine – if the hotel allows, though you may be charged for corkage, so check the cost of hotel home wine before making any decisions here. Compare.
go for cheap mains
“If the price per person for the main course has gone up, look at the menu and if you have an expensive dish on the main course, consider changing to something cheaper,” Kelly said. “Working with hotels to create a great meal that’s a little cheaper and that tastes really good.”
For example, chicken should be cheaper than beef, lobster or crab. Lemon and garlic can work well as a chicken main, advised Kelly.
Kelly said opting for tapas instead of a soup starter can also help keep wedding dinner costs down.
Keep in mind that some wedding venues have a minimum cost for meals, so this may limit the amount you can deduct costs.
get married in the middle of the week
The most popular and therefore expensive days for a wedding are Friday and Saturday. The Sunday of Bank Holiday Weekend will also be expensive. Weddings that take place in the middle of the week will be cheaper. So for anyone looking to go ahead with a pre-pandemic booked wedding, hosting it in the middle of the week can give you a better chance of getting your wedding for the price you originally quoted.
“Most hotels gave couples who had booked pre-pandemic, a window of opportunity to stick to the same terms and conditions. [of their original booking] — with the price rising if the marriage was pushed out by six months or more, Brian said.
“Couples found that when they went to advance their weddings they had to consider having their wedding on a Tuesday or Thursday – because Fridays and Saturdays got booked up so quickly.
“Couples were faced with the choice of going in for a Saturday wedding and waiting a little longer and paying more – or getting married on a Wednesday or Thursday. [and getting the wedding quicker and for the original price], That’s why a lot of couples are now putting their weddings in the middle of the week – otherwise they might wait another year to get married on a Friday or Saturday. Many wedding suppliers are currently doing more than four weddings during the week. It’s incredibly busy.”
be flexible
Taking a more relaxed and flexible approach to your wedding can save you a lot of money. Start with the color scheme.
“In the past, couples were often dictated by the color scheme—the bride’s clothes were all the same color,” Kelly said.
“Sometimes this adds up to the cost – as a result you can pay between €400 and €500 for each bridesmaid dress. If you want a large number of bridesmaids at your wedding, the bridesmaid dresses Be flexible with – choose clothes within a color palette rather than a specific color. Buy clothes from a mainstream store.”
One of the consequences of the pandemic is that many people are more flexible about weddings, according to Kelly. “It’s not always like this before,” Kelly said.
“As they become more flexible, weddings have become more relaxed – and many traditional things, such as cutting cakes, are no longer happening. When it becomes a less formal affair it can drive down costs. gives.”
The day can be even more pleasant due to the lack of formality.
“People don’t feel the pressure that was there before [the pandemic] To tick every box,” Kelly said.
“As a result, people are now getting the weddings they really want.”
cost statement
A wedding meal for 100 guests can easily cost €6,000 – or €20,000 for those who spend more.
According to Jonathan Bryan of Weddingsline, the average cost of a wedding meal today is between €80 and €90 per person – although costs vary.
“It is not uncommon for people to spend €150 to €200 per guest for food,” Brian said. “However, there are plenty of desirable places where you can get a wedding meal for between €50 and €60 a head – although it will not be a five-star resort.”
Wedding packages at the Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin this year start at €89 per person, with the most expensive package priced at €109 per person. The hotel also allows you to create your own tailored package where wedding menus are available from €59.50 per person.
Should you opt for a wedding package with the five-star Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney, prices per guest start at €99 or €125 per person, depending on the package.
Muckross Park Hotel also offers an Infinity Package – which includes food, wine, hair, makeup, photographer, flowers, band and DJ – for the first 120 guests at a total cost of €16,599. This package is offered at weddings (subject to availability) held in January, February, March and November.
rings Weddings are one of the biggest expenses – an average of €4,617 is being spent by a couple on engagement and wedding rings, according to this year’s survey of wedding costs.
With an average cost of €2,232, the wedding band is another big-ticket wedding item.
“The more popular suppliers are more aware of their pricing power – so if you want one of the top ten bands, you have to pay more for the band. [than if you went elsewhere]”Bryans said. “Ask yourself if you’re happy to go for something that wasn’t necessarily your first choice.”
As the survey found that the average cost of a DJ is €526, hiring a DJ for the night instead of a band can save you a lot of money.
In fact you may find it difficult to rent a wedding band. “Weddings lack bands,” said Peter Kelly of Weddings by Frank. “A lot of bands broke up during the pandemic.”
Wedding planners (€ 1,956 on average), photographer (€ 1,779), wedding dress (€ 1,725) and videographer (€ 1,443) are the other big wedding expenses, according to WeddingSunline’s survey.
In addition to makeup and hair-do on the morning of the wedding, couples are shelling out an average of €414 for another Beauty Treatment — such as botox, teeth whitening, teeth straightening and fake tan, according to WeddingSunline.
Such additional beauty treatments are increasing the cost. Between make-up, hair, botox, teeth and fake tan, the bill for the bride and her bride and groom can run up to €1,000 or more, depending on the number of groomsmen’s attendants. me me
Know your priorities
The more guests, the more expensive the food, drink, entertainment, etc. So invite a small number of guests to your wedding, although note that this may mean changing the venue you have in mind as some venues have a minimum number of guests.
Tara Fey said, “Think about what’s important to you in your marriage.” “There are three or four non-negotiable and three or four things you don’t get pushed about — and cut the conversation if you need to cut costs somewhere.”
A wedding spread over two or three days will cost more than a one-day event. “During the pandemic, a lot of people missed the sense of community and so today there is a longing to bring people together for longer periods of time – but unfortunately weddings cost money,” Fay said.
The bridal party is a group of people chosen by you and your partner to fulfill traditional roles on the wedding day. A large bridal party will increase the cost of your wedding.
The more wedding suppliers you have, the higher the bill. “If you’re dealing with a lot of suppliers, you can easily go over budget,” said Jonathan Bryan of WeddingSunline. “If the cost of each supplier exceeds a few hundred euros, very easily you could be over budget by €1,000 or more.”
Doing some of the work yourself can help cut costs here. For example, you can do favors for your own wedding, grow your own flowers (if you’re a skilled gardener), enlist friends to help with flower arrangements, or for a wedding. You can drive your car.
It will usually be cheaper to have your wedding in January, February, March, or November than between May and September. Weekend weddings will also be cheaper than weekend weddings.
Hire a local professional when hosting your wedding abroad. “Get help from someone on the ground, even if it’s just for the wedding day or the week,” Fay said. “As many questions as you need to ask when arranging a foreign wedding – so that everything is completely clear.”
