Survey reveals the exorbitant cost of attending a wedding in Ireland

Sure you'll have a great weekend but there'll be a serious hole burned in your pocket afterwards.

There are few better occasions in the social calendar than an Irish wedding, particularly if you happen to be well acquainted with either the bride or groom or both. The company is good, the craic is great and more often that not these days, it's an event that lasts for a few days rather than just one. Going to the wedding of that second cousin you haven't seen in ten years isn't quite as much fun, but we digress. As well as the fairly serious comedown afterwards, the worst part of the wedding experience is checking your bank balance afterwards, because they do burn quite a hole in your pocket. Wedding website One Fab Day have calculated that Irish men spend an average of just over €1,000 (€1,080) on a wedding, including the stag party, the outfit, the gift, accomodation and the day itself, while women tend to spend a little less, averaging €960 per wedding. The stag party is the most expensive part of the wedding for a male guest, costing approximately €400, with single wedding guests paying approximately €150 toward the wedding gift. Interestingly enough, the survey also found that wedding guests hailing from rural areas tended to be slightly more generous than city folk when it came to gifts or a donation towards the happy couple's honeymoon fund. Food for thought the next time you're debating whether to tick yes or no on the next wedding invite that comes through the letterbox. Hat-tip: Irish Examiner