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Louise Thomas

Editor

Airbnb has partnered up with By Rotation, a fashion rental app, to offer Brits who have been invited to weddings overseas this year £150 in credit to spend on a designer outfit rental – plus £100 in Airbnb credit for their next trip.

As summer is in full swing, a lot of spouses-to-be would have planned their weddings around making the most of the sunny weather, yet there is also a rise in trend in the couples planning destination weddings outside the UK.

While being invited to someone’s special day is exciting, budgeting for a wedding, overseas or at home, is not necessarily an easy task, especially when you have to think about flights and where to stay, on top of staying stylish with a new outfit.

According to research by Airbnb, around 53 per cent of guests from the UK say they struggle with the cost of attending a wedding.

However, Airbnb and By Rotation have teamed up to try and help alleviate the stress and lower the costs of planning a trip to another country for a wedding, and perhaps an extended holiday, too.

The average British wedding guest will spend £661 per wedding, according to Airbnb’s research, with 17 per cent saying that wedding presents for the happy couple, contribute to the financial strain.

Ten per cent also say the same thing about having to splash out on new clothes for the wedding, yet if you are staying in an Airbnb for a wedding this year, you may find yourself flaunting a new Ganni two-piece or even a sought-after Farm Rio dress.

While England still takes the number one spot for wedding locations for Brits this summer, followed by Northern Ireland and Ireland second and Wales third, other couples have also set their sights on European destinations and beyond to get married in, Airbnb’s research states.

In the middle of the top ten wedding locations, guests can expect to be invited to classic holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy and France for the big day, yet North America does take the seventh spot after these countries.

Completing the list are Greece (including the islands) and the Caribbean. If you find yourself being invited to a wedding before the end of 2024 in any of these top 10 destinations and are also staying in an Airbnb, the holiday rental company is offering for you to apply for £150 in By Rotation credit to rent yourself a designer outfit for the big day.

“Watching loved ones tie the knot should be a cause for celebration, not worry. With our research showing that guest stress is snowballing, we want to try and ease that pressure,” Amanda Cupples, general manager for the UK and Northern Europe at Airbnb, said.

“Partnering with By Rotation couldn’t have ‘married’ up more perfectly, as their fashion expertise enables wedding guests to hire their dream outfit in a more sustainable and cost-friendly way,” she added. “This, combined with Airbnb’s range of unforgettable stays all over the globe, where you can have the place totally to yourself, helps make the wedding guest experience all the more easy, and affordable too.”

An astonishing 83 per cent of Brits will attend at least one wedding in 2024, with a staggering 31 per cent attending four or more big days, meaning that watching your loved one getting married can be an expensive occasion, especially if you are trying to stay stylish at each and every one.

While jetting off to an overseas wedding can blow the yearly holiday budget, some guests attending destination weddings have already found ways to cut costs.

Over half (53 per cent) of those say they prefer to stay with a group, and then split the accommodation bill between them, showing a proactive effort to make it more affordable.

Airbnb’s new offer also sees £100 off any future bookings through the platform.

As more couples have chosen to tie the knot overseas, many of their guests are choosing to use their big day as an opportunity to have an extended holiday, their research stated.

Over half, 59 per cent, of Brits attending a wedding abroad see this as a chance to also use the time in another country as being on holiday.

“Airbnb has revolutionised the way we travel, promoting a community-driven approach. The brand is a huge source of inspiration behind the online fashion marketplace we have created at By Rotation,” Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO at By Rotation, said.

“Weddings are such joyous occasions, and attending them should be as stress-free as possible. We believe both our brands can help with that -  combining the best of travel, accessible fashion, for your wedding calendar.”

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