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- I went to 6 weddings this summer. Here's how much I spent.
I went to 6 weddings this summer. Here's how much I spent.
I spent a total of $192.43 on wedding gifts.
Transportation added up to $194.48.
Most of the events I attended were in the tri-state area, but some required travel and accommodations.
One of the weddings was accessible by subway, making it free with my monthly Metrocard. For another one of the weddings, I got a ride from my roommate's fiancé. For the other four, plus one bridal shower, here's what transportation cost:
- Lyft to a bridal shower in the Bronx: $26.88.
- Borrowing my brother's car, which included a highway toll pass, to drive upstate: $28.85 for gas.
- Jitney bus to New Jersey: $11 round trip.
- Lyft to New Jersey: $65.25 round trip. Split between three people each way, I paid $21.75.
- Amtrak to Washington, DC: $106. This was a splurge, but I didn't want to deal with traffic getting back into the city after a holiday weekend and it was an hour shorter than a bus would have been. Definitely worth it.
Total transportation expenses: $194.48.
I spent $96.85 on accommodations for two out-of-town weddings.
Two of the weddings required overnight stays outside of the New York metropolitan area:
- Hotel upstate: $119.98. Split two ways, I paid $60.
- Hotel in Washington, DC: $137.35. I booked through my credit card's rewards website and used $63.64 worth of points, bringing the cost to $73.71. Split two ways, I paid $36.85.
Total accommodation expenses: $96.85.
For my outfits, I spent $115.66 on four dresses.
After a few unsuccessful department store trips, I decided to try ordering cheap dresses on Amazon for the convenience factor. Not all of them were winners, but I kept these four and rotated them out throughout the summer:
- Genhoo Women's Vintage Tea Dress: $34.99.
- VFSHOW Elegant Velvet Flutter Sleeve Sheath Dress: $17.99.
- AONOUR Women's Vintage Floral Lace Swing Dress: $36.69.
- Lamilus Midi Swing Dress with Pockets: $25.99. As a side note, I cannot recommend this dress enough. It's comfortable, has pockets deep enough to hold all the essentials without looking bulky, and I got tons of compliments on it.
Total outfit expenses: $115.66.
I spent a grand total of $599.42 as a wedding guest this summer — about $100 per wedding.
The Knot found that wedding guests spend an average of $776 per wedding. My total of just under $600 for six weddings didn't come close to that. This is likely because most of the weddings I went to were local, so I didn't have to book any expensive flights or accommodations for more than one night.
I can honestly say that spending my summer celebrating love in all its splendors was worth every penny. But if you're a frequent wedding guest on a budget like myself, here are a few ways I'd recommend saving money:
- Split costs with others when possible. Fill every available seat in rideshares. Buddy up for hotel rooms or Airbnbs. Some registries also let you contribute smaller amounts towards more expensive items or gift an amount of your choice to a cash fund.
- Join hotel rewards clubs. With many chains, all you have to do is set up a free account online for perks like cheaper member rates and late checkout. If you go to enough weddings and rack up enough points, you can earn a free stay.
- Take advantage of credit card rewards. Save up credit card points and cashback rewards for big occasions that come with big expenses. Business Insider named Chase Freedom Unlimited as the best card for everyday spending, and it served me well this summer by paying for almost half of one of my hotel stays.
- Repeat outfits. There is literally nothing wrong with wearing an item of clothing that you own more than once. Just don't wear white.
- Read more:
- Here's how popular first dance songs at weddings have changed over the years
- The best Chase credit cards you can sign up for in 2019
- These couples took engagement photos in their favorite stores, and fluorescent lighting has never looked more romantic
- Here's how much it costs to get married in 25 of the biggest US cities
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