The cost of hen party celebrations will break the £1billion mark in 2018 as the ‘last night of freedom’ parties continue to become increasingly costly.
A recent study has revealed that over £1.25 billion will be spent on hen parties in the UK this year – working out at an average cost of £471 per guest and making hen parties the biggest wedding expenditure overall.
“These figures really show the shift in trends for weddings,” said Ian Lucas, founder of Red7, the company behind the research. ”We’re seeing as much time and thought put into pre-wedding activities as the day itself. With hen parties one of the biggest expenditures, we know brides want to plan something really special.”
The research has been reported on widely in the consumer press, with even Harpers Bazaar running an article on the ‘tyranny of hen parties’, where it says that; “A hen do that costs around £150-£200 is now seen as the lower end of the chain, which gives you an indication of how utterly ridiculous this has all become.”
It has also been estimated that around 221,200 weddings will be taking place across England and Wales this year. The Office of National Statistics has charted a downward trend in the number of marriages taking place each year and it’s likely this will continue throughout 2018.