Spain has made weddings a huge millionaire business that does not touch a roof

In Spain Give the “yes I want” It is more than a demonstration of love and commitment. Weddings are also a great huge business that moves every year thousands of millions of euros, he uses thousands of professionals and a considerable part of the savings of couples is carried. And to show a button: according to The last report of weddings.net, the average cost of the links held last year in Spain amounted to 24,618 euros, 17% more That only two years ago.

And so Not counting with the 5,200 of the honeymoon.

Question of love (and euros). Weddings in Spain are tradition. And business. One that moves thousands of millions of euros. That is no novelty. What is curious is that its cost has grown in recent years to Recover the land lost in the worst of the financial crisis. Let’s see. If we take a look at the historical series, we verify that in 2005 the “invoice” of the links stood in Spain above the 25,000 eurosfigure that was reduced during the worst years of the recession until it was below 13,000 in 2013.

The trend in recent times has been different. According to statista, in 2019 organize a wedding in Spain cost on average $ 23,400about 20,800 euros to change. The data coincides with the one that managed by the same dates the wedes.net portal, which placed the total invoice in 20,808 euros. According to the same platform, in 2022 that invoice had already grown until lightly exceeding the 21,000 euros And now its most recent report estimates it in 24,618.

An ascending curve. Although it may be shocking, weddings are not exactly the same in all of Spain. Weddings.net He manages studies that show for example that on average the number of guests to a link in Murcia or Castilla-La Mancha far exceeds that of the weddings of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia or the Canary Islands. If we take into account that, the different price between regions and the varieties of criteria when preparing the studies (what is taken into account when estimating the total cost of a ceremony) is understood that The calculation It is not simple. His latest report leaves a clear idea: marrying comes out more and more expensive.

Of 21,056 euros on average per link three years ago 23,750 in 2023 and 24,618 in 2024. The figure that has been calculated thanks to interviews with 6,700 couples They gave themselves the “yes I want” last year. The authors of the study also ensure that they have taken into account people from all over the country and covered a diverse sample in terms of ages, ethnic groups, rent, age and sexual orientation.

Is it a lot of money? There is an interesting way to answer that question: compare the average cost of weddings held in the country with what (at least) a Spanish worker enters on average for a year. Exercise shows revealing conclusions, such as if we add the average bill of a link (24,618 euros) and the honeymoon (5,178) The total invoice (29,800) is equivalent to a good part of what the Spaniards perceive over a year, at least via salarieswithout counting extra sources such as income.

According to the INE, in 2022 the “average annual gain per worker” was in Spain in 26,948 euros while the medium salary marked 22,383 and the modal (the most frequent) was around 14,586. The most recent data show that in 2024 the Middle salary (before taxes) It was from 1,987 euros a month.

One year of work. During 2022 the average wedding price was 21,056 euros, amount to which the honeymoon’s invoice was added: 3,000 on average For those who traveled through Spain and 6,000 for those who decided to leave the country. If we take into account that data, the result is that a wedding with a standard trip abroad added practically the same than an average annual salary.

Reviewing the invoices. That weddings reach these high figures is greatly explained by the cost of banquets, which take a considerable pinched pinched. If in 2022 a link It cost average 21,056 eurosabout 10,600 corresponded to that chapter. The second expense, quite a distance, was the wedding dress and the accessories, which were around 2,150.

To that amount It is added The price of the pedida ring and the honeymoon. Last year the average budget for the newly married trip was 5,178. Maybe it seems a lot, but According to Bodas.net 89% of couples ended up making their bags stop vacation or at least one getaway (NINIMOON).

But … how do you pay? The report is interesting because it also answers that question. And the conclusion is that a good part of the invoices are financed with what the guests contribute. “48% of couples pay the wedding obtaining money as a wedding gift, while 39% use their savings account,” Precise.

This distribution of expenses makes Spain a large extent one of the nations that most invest in links. In 2019 statista elaborated A ranking With a dozen countries and Spain occupied second place, ahead of France or Portugal. It only exceeded it, where couples were spent on average $ 29,200.

Images | Leonardo Miranda (UNSPLASH) and Victoria Priessnitz (UNSPLASH)

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