Wedding Couples are spending more, and inviting less guests since COVID-19.
Each year, nearly 30,000 Wedding Couples are registered with ABIA to collect ratings & reviews on behalf of Wedding Vendors across Australia.
A third of those couples generously complete an ABIA survey including:
- how much they spent
- their original wedding budget
- if they read reviews (83.4% read reviews during wedding planning)
- how many guests attend their wedding
- # of interstate guests
- # of international guests
The Trawool Estate, photo by Justin Westwood Photography
Average Wedding Spend
(2022 vs. 2019)
ABIA has compared its data for the first quarter (January to March) of 2022 with that same quarter of 2019, the findings are interesting to learn the differences between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic weddings.
In 2019, the average national wedding spend was $33,488 and in 2022, this has increased to $35,558.
Another interesting difference is the average # of guests in 2019's first quarter was 105.08 Guests, whereas in 2022 it has decreased to 86.58 Guests
The reduction in the number of guests is certainly as a result of the Pandemic and associated restrictions that the national wedding industry had experienced. Based on the current trends, future bookings are also seeing on average less guests invited, however only time will tell if this will last, as trends come and go.
It is recognised that the cost of living has had an impact on all consumer goods and services, however the significant decrease in average guest numbers against the overall spend indicates that couples are investing more in services such as wedding styling, floristry, entertainment, dance lessons, sourcing high-end vendors, venue upgrades etc. as they are aiming to create the ideal 'wedding experience' for themselves and their loved ones.
Another trend we are seeing is couples want to extend the celebrations across a few days, and are hosting pre-wedding brunches the day before, post-wedding recovery days and get-together dinners. Many people feel deprived of experiences from the last two years, and weddings are the perfect environment to bring people together and create lasting memories.
It is brilliant to see many Wedding Vendors adapt in creating more unique and memorable weddings for couples who choose to say 'I Do' in Australia.
ABIA Award Nominations are open all-year round. Login to your ABIA dashboard to start collecting reviews & nominations for 2022.
Learn more about how the ABIA Awards work, and its mission of driving credibility & strong standards for the wedding industry.
