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Covid-related wedding costs to budget for in 2021

Plus how a joint account can help you plan for your big day

By Melissa on July 12, 2021

Joint Accounts Wedding - Landscape

Covering the costs of a wedding can be tricky to manage and get right — especially during ongoing Covid times. That’s why we’re breaking down all the extra costs you’ll need to consider plus how a Monese joint account can benefit you and your loved one when planning for your special day.

How much do weddings cost?

Covid-19 safety rules are set to change on 19 July, meaning that big weddings can finally take place once again in England, and venues are no longer required to enforce safety rules and provide hand gel and other precautionary supplies.

Many brides and grooms with a wedding on the horizon are expected to introduce their own safety measures to their big day, even after all official restrictions are lifted, to help ensure the good health and safety of guests in attendance and allow any friends and family members to join the celebrations worry-free.

Weddings are already expensive with the average cost in the UK already totalling more (£30,000¹) than a typical annual salary ². With brides and grooms now responsible for implementing their own Covid-safety measures to protect their guests, this could add more than £5,000 (£5,305)* to the total cost of their wedding day, increasing the average budget by almost a fifth (18%) ¹, according to a new study.

From lateral flow tests to temperature checks, hand sanitiser stations to disposable masks, and the average number of wedding guests sitting at 78 in 2020³, costs for these additions can soon add up for couples opting to absorb these costs within their own wedding day budgets. We’ve calculated the average cost of each optional safety measure that brides and grooms-to-be may now have to think about, and budget for in 2021 and beyond when planning their big day.

Lateral flow tests — from £64 for a pack of 72⁴

Although they’re not as accurate as a PCR test, lateral flow tests can show if someone is infectious with Covid-19 at that particular time. This means they can be taken in the lead up to and on the day of the wedding by guests, to help identify if they may need to go and get a PCR test and self-isolate.

As mentioned, these are not 100% accurate, but they could be sent out to guests to use ahead of the wedding for additional peace of mind.

PCR testing — from £65 at home / £99 in store⁵

More accurate than a lateral flow test, the 48-hour PCR test is being used as proof of a negative Covid test for those looking to travel in 2021. That said, they do come at a cost, so for those looking to test all guests ahead of your wedding day, budgeting is key as these may add up to a hefty amount depending on the size of the wedding party.

Covid testing thermometers — from £12 per unit⁶

Another option is to check the temperature of guests before they enter the wedding ceremony or venue. Thermometers for this purpose are relatively inexpensive, but remember to allow for additional time to test, especially for larger wedding parties.

Hand sanitiser — from £20 for a pack of 24 (50ml)⁷

Why not incorporate hand sanitiser as part of the table favours? Small bottles can be picked up relatively cheaply and can be scattered across tables for each of the guests to use throughout the day.

Disposable face masks — from £14.99 for 200⁸

Most people are now carrying around a mask without even giving it a second thought, and whilst they’re not always going to be a legal requirement, masks have been reported to help stop the spread of Covid and may be something couples wish to incorporate for at least a small part of their wedding.

Set money aside and budget with a Monese joint account

monese-pots-save-1 Along with these extra costs, you’ll also have to budget for the usual venue costs, catering, reception, honeymoon costs, makeup, the wedding dress and suit, accessories, shoes, ceremony fees, cake, bar, entertainment, transportation, insurance and plenty more. That’s why having up to 10 dedicated Monese money pots set up in your joint account to help you save and work towards each goal is so important — and you avoid going into any debt!

For example, say you have a dream dress that costs £3,000. With Monese, you can easily set up £3,000 as the target for your “Wedding dress 👰🏻‍♀️” pot and monitor your progress as you add to it and watch it grow!

To reach your targets even faster, you can choose to round up daily transactions by up to 10x and send the difference directly to a chosen pot. Having pots also helps to keep your wedding money separate from daily spending. And you can easily set up Recurring Payments to your pot to automate how much you’re putting away.

With a Monese joint account, you and your partner can also agree on a set budget for your wedding expenses. Easily set up a monthly and weekly budget as you lead up to your big day. Stay on track and in the loop together with the Spending Overview feature in your app.

A joint account also makes it simple for guests to gift you money on your special day. You can easily copy and share your account details with your friends and loved ones straight from your app for an easy and smooth process for all! Plus, this way you’re able to keep track of who sent you a little something so you remember to send a thank you card later.

Send money abroad and travel with a Monese joint account

TRAVEL Blog & Social 04 Along with budgeting for additional Covid-related travel costs and safety measures as mentioned above, planning a destination wedding or even your honeymoon also means dealing with foreign vendors and paying them in foreign currency. With a Monese joint account, you can easily send money abroad to pay vendors at a great currency exchange rate.

And when you finally go on your honeymoon, your Monese card is the only travel card you’ll need on your romantic getaway! You’ll have instant access to your cash worldwide by withdrawing at any ATM at the wholesale currency exchange rate. Plus, you can spend abroad with your card and always count on the wholesale exchange rate without ever having to worry about hidden fees.

The benefits of a Monese joint account after your wedding

You can use your Monese joint account well after the wedding and honeymoon are over. In fact, this is just the beginning! There are many benefits to having a Monese joint account for married couples:

  • Easily work towards future goals together like buying a house
  • Manage household bills and expenses together
  • Set up a weekly or monthly budget together
  • Keep track of joint transactions with instant notifications
  • Get both of your salaries paid into your joint account for easier money management
  • Quickly set up Direct Debits or Recurring Payments to stay on top of shared payments

Best of all, opening a Monese joint account is free! You just pay the card delivery fee: €/£4.95.



Will you be opening a joint account to help with your wedding day planning? Or if you’ve used a joint account for your wedding plans, let us know how it was useful for you! Leave us a comment on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or drop us a line at community@monese.com.



*Data around the additional costs associated with a more covid safe wedding were totalled based on 78 guests calculated against the below which were correct as of 10/7/2021:

  • 2 x packs of tests based on: Lateral flow tests — from £64 for a pack of 72⁴
  • 78 x at-home tests based on: PCR testing — from £65 at home / £99 in store⁵
  • 1 x unit based on: Covid testing thermometers — from £12 per Unit⁶
  • 4 x packs of: Hand sanitiser — from £20 for a pack of 24 (50ml)⁷
  • 1 x pack of: disposable face masks — from £14.99 for 200⁸

Total: £5,304.99

Sources

  1. https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/average-cost-wedding-uk
  2. https://uk.jobted.com/salary
  3. https://www.purephotoni.com/blog/the-average-cost-of-a-uk-wedding-in-2019
  4. https://ukwholesales.co.uk/individually-packed-covid-19-lower-nostril-noninvasive-antigen-lateral-flow-test-kit-lower-nostril-swab/
  5. https://www.boots.com/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-service
  6. https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Infrared+Thermometers&i=industrial&rh=n%3A6286456031&s=price-desc-rank&_encoding=UTF8&c=ts&qid=1625580173&ts_id=6286456031&ref=sr_st_price-desc-rank
  7. https://www.staples.co.uk/catering-and-cleaning-products/cleaning-and-hygiene/bathroom-supplies/hand-soaps-sanitisers/mrs-gleams-antibacterial-hand-gel-50ml-pack-of-24-handgel50/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_o-HBhAsEiwANqYhpyTeX1qGn4fUtekpWt3hRJJDTXOOhlc1ql7Ic4Fw4Pd1EP-oUP3hhRoCN5oQAvD_BwE
  8. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Protective-Disposable-Breathable-Filterability-Sensitive/dp/B08GH2CVNQ/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=face%2Bmasks&qid=1625580991&s=drugstore&sr=1-3-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUlk5SUpRSTJJUUZTJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDE0ODYxMkVNSkdaM1RUQzhJQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjA5MDIyMVI1QVFBQUNSNDg1WSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

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