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27th Aug 2008

Every time we hear the news or open a newspaper there's another story telling us more bad news about the credit crunch. If you're planning your wedding just now you've probably already witnessed the rising costs of wedding rings and honeymoon flights.

Is it all doom and gloom or is there any good news?

Nearly Married Ltd., wedding gift list specialists, have researched the effect of the credit crunch on wedding gifts. This may be impacting on disposable income but so far it seems that it hasn't affected how much people are prepared to spend on their wedding gift. Average spend remains unchanged from last year at around £50. And guests do not seem to be delaying the purchase of their gift until the last possible moment. "There will always be some guests who like to purchase a wedding gift as soon as the list is available so that they get the widest choice to pick from and then there are others who will buy their gift closer to, or after, the event" say Nearly Married. "If guests are feeling the pinch from the credit crunch, our research shows that at present they are not spending any less or delaying their purchase".

Another significant finding in Nearly Married's research is the type of gifts being purchased. "Our service enables couples to mix traditional wedding gifts like pots and pans with money and we're finding that it's becoming much more the norm for couples to ask for a mix of money, gift vouchers and gifts, or just money. And when it's money it's nearly always used for the honeymoon. Guests seem to be quite happy to contribute cash towards specific items such as a romantic meal for two and will often pick these gifts rather than the more traditional type of wedding gift" say Nearly Married. "Our advice to couples is to try to be specific about how the money will be used so that guests know what they're buying. And by customising elements of your honeymoon, for example asking for 'Afternoon tea at the Burj al Arab, Dubai' it's a fun way to let guests find out more about your dream honeymoon.

Over recent years more and more couples have been using their wedding list as a way to raise money for charity, particularly for charities which are relevant to their immediate family. Will charities lose out because of the credit crunch? According to Nearly Married couples are still keen to help charities when they pick their wedding gifts, even if they're just mixing a few charity gifts with other gifts. And they don't expect this to change. "However, if the credit crunch deepens we may see gifts of money becoming even more popular choices for couples, but so far it hasn't had an impact on how much guests will spend on the gift itself." say Nearly Married.