What makes a Big Fat Geordie Wedding? A dive into Newcastle’s wedding day expectations

It's set to be a busy summer of weddings in Newcastle as many couples continue to play catch-up on re-arranged ceremonies due to Covid-19.

A recent Saturday night out in Newcastle will prove that trend with stag and hen parties slamming the Toon's most popular bars and clubs every weekend at the moment.

From ancient Northumberland castles to swanky city-centre buildings, the North East is blessed with some of the country's most gorgeous venues.

Looking into what makes the perfect wedding day, Seven Stone Jewellers has crunched the data to find out what Geordies want and expect to happen at the ceremony.

How much do Geordies spend at a wedding?

It may come as no surprise that weddings in Newcastle tend to be some of the cheapest in the country.

Couples no doubt still fork out an eye-watering amount for an unforgettable day, but you get more bang for your buck in the North East than elsewhere in the country.

Wedding guests in Newcastle tend to spend the most on an outfit at an average of £122.67.

That's closely followed by £122.23 on average for a gift.

Adding up costs for accommodation, transport, childcare, stag and hen parties, food and drink, a pet sitter and hair and makeup to the price of an outfit and a gift, guests are spending an average of £798.82 just to attend a single wedding.

It's a huge amount, but falls well behind the national average of £1,203.82 - in fact, Newcastle is the second cheapest city in the UK, only beaten by Southampton.

So, what do wedding guests expect in return?

The data also looks into what Geordie wedding guests are wanting in return for their investment.

50.57% expect some evening food or a buffet to be included in what they are paying for.

44.13% are also wanting a formal invitation with 39.08% expecting some evening entertainment.

Geordies are much less worried about daytime entertainment, with just 10.34% expecting that, and a mere 5.75% would want free transport to the event.

Why would the people of Newcastle turn down a wedding invitation?

By far the most common reason for Geordies to politely say no to a wedding invite is the overall cost.

31.03% of people in the area would use that as a reason to say no.

A long commute is also a factor with 25.29% of people potentially put off by a time-consuming journey and 18.39% of people wouldn't go if their partner wasn’t invited or if the ceremony was on a weekday.

Perhaps surprisingly, what the people of Newcastle aren't fussed about is an invitation to the stag or hen do.

Only 4.6% of people would say no to a wedding invitation if they had been left out.