Planning a wedding, and want to make sure your guests are happy? Think about ditching the receiving line.
That’s the least popular aspect of a wedding from a guest’s perspective, according to a recent Associated Press–Brides.com poll.
The preferences, in order: Watching the ceremony; the music and dancing; the food; seeing the bride’s gown; toasts and speeches; cutting of the cake; seeing the bridesmaids’ dresses; group dances; throwing of the bouquet; throwing of the garter; and then, that receiving line.
Not surprisingly, male and female guests had different views, according to the poll.
For women, the ceremony was tops, followed closely by seeing the bride’s gown. For men, food at the reception was the winner.
Women’s least favorite? Again, the receiving line. For men, the least favorite was seeing the bridesmaid’s dresses.
Also in the poll, relatively few people said they’d be likely to attend the wedding and forego a gift if they couldn’t afford it; men, especially younger men, were more likely to do so. Only 20 percent of women of any age said they were likely to do so, compared to 50 percent of men under 35, and 23 percent of men over 35.
Also, roughly four in 10 single men said they’d be likely to go with that option, compared to a quarter of single women.
The median price people paid for wedding gifts over the past two years was $80, though 10 percent said they paid $300 or more.
And the median total cost of attending the wedding — including gifts, travel, lodging and clothing — was $200 for those who traveled out of town, double for people who had to travel more than 100 miles. Six percent of those questioned spent $2,000 or more. — ap