Intimate wedding: Between 50 and 75 guests. Small wedding: Less than 50 guests.
These numbers may vary a little depending on who you're speaking with, but a small wedding typically includes 50 people or under, a medium wedding has a guest list of anywhere from 50-150 guests, and a large wedding has over 150 attendees.
Small weddings can range in size, but typically include around 20-80 people and are just as special — and potentially a lot less expensive — than a large celebration.
Typically, a guestlist of 75 to 150 people is considered an "average" wedding size. However, average guest counts fluctuate too. Did you know that about ten more guests are invited to weddings this year than last year? That brings the national average to just over 100 wedding guests.
Typically a very small wedding of less than 20 guests is called a micro wedding, while a small wedding is considered as having between 30 and 60 guests. However, it's really up to each couple what they consider “small”.
Staying on the conservative side when attending a wedding is smart. If you're wearing a short dress, be sure that it's no shorter than an inch above your knee. It's okay for your dress to be tailored to fit you, but be sure you're dress is not too tight.
There's no magical formula to determine exactly how many invitees will RSVP "no" (trust us, if we could predict the future for you, we would), but it's safe to plan for roughly 15 percent of people to decline the invitation (and more like 20–30 percent for a destination wedding).
In Easy Weddings' recent survey of 3,500+ engaged and recently married (2020-22) couples, the average spend for an Australian wedding was $34,715.
They suggest the following breakdown: coworkers or distant relatives should spend 50 to 75 dollars. Friends or relatives, 75 to 100 dollars. For close friends, family, or if you are in the wedding party, you should spend 100 to 150 dollars—or more.
This may include immediate family members, close friends, and important mentors, as well as their plus-ones and/or children. When planning an intimate wedding, don't feel pressured to invite acquaintances, neighbors, distant relatives, people you barely know, etc.
Intimate wedding: Between 50 and 75 guests. Small wedding: Less than 50 guests.
Traditionally, the bride's family pays for the wedding, but that custom is rapidly changing. Couples are increasingly choosing to handle at least half of the wedding expenses on their own. Early planning and a written budget can help avoid miscommunication when deciding who pays for what.
The number of bridesmaids selected for a bridal party, is very much down to the size of the wedding. For instance, a small wedding of up to 100 people, is unlikely to have 9 bridesmaids. But a wedding of 500+ people, may do. Typically, on average, brides tend to go for around 3-5 bridesmaids.
There is no age limit
The general opinion seems to be that age doesn't really matter. Some bridesmaids in their late 30s, early 40s and older may jump at the opportunity to be a special part of your wedding. Others may have other reasons for not wanting to be a bridesmaid.
Wedding costs in 2022
The average wedding held in 2022, including both the ceremony and reception, cost $30,000, according to The Knot. That's the most couples have spent since 2018 ($33,931), before COVID-19. It's also $2,000 more than the 2021 average, which totaled $28,000 for the ceremony and reception.
That all depends on whether the gift is off the registry, an experience, or cash. Upon consulting the experts, a wedding gift should range from $75 to $750—but most agree that $300+ is the sweet spot.
An easy rule of thumb is to stay within the average range of $75 to $200, but you can adjust the exact amount based on your personal finances, as well as your relationship with the couple.
The average wedding gift amount hovers right around $100, which is a great place to start, and you can increase or decrease that based on how close you are.
From the mid-1970s until 2018 there was a steady and ongoing increase in the median age of men and women at first marriage. This upward trend halted between 2018 and 2020 but continued again in 2021. In 2021 the median age of men was 30.8 years, and women 29.4 years.
The bride's side of the family traditionally pays for the bride's wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses. Increasingly, however, bridesmaids are paying for their own dresses.
Autumn and spring the time to wed
November (spring) and March (autumn) are the most popular months to get married, each hosting 12% of Australia's yearly marriages. October is also quite popular, hosting 11% followed by April (10%).
On average, between 15 and 20 percent of guests will RSVP "no" to a wedding.
“However, it is never an exact science,” she said. “A general overall percentage between 75-85 percent of wedding guests usually attend.” The breakdown: 85 percent of local guests, 55 percent of out-of-town guests, and 35 percent of destination wedding guests will show up, Buckley said.
What Is the Average No-Show Rate at a Wedding? While there's no documented average no-show rate for a wedding, we've heard other outlets report that you should expect 5 to 10 percent of guests who RSVP'd yes not to attend.