Inflation and the increase in the exchange rate doubled the cost of the wedding

GÜLBEN DIKMEN

With inflation and rising exchange rates, everything went up, and the average cost of weddings doubled from last year. The increase in many items such as wedding venue, wedding dress, groom suit, wedding car, bridal bouquet, wedding invitation hit those planning to get married this year.

Although the cost of the wedding varies according to preferences, the increase in cost was also large since each item increased at least by the rate of inflation. The increase in the exchange rate caused these costs to increase even more.

PRICES EXCEED THE RATE OF INFLATION

According to the latest inflation data announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute, annual consumer inflation in Turkey was 39.59 percent, producer inflation was 40.76 percent, while price increases were very above these rates.

Prices for wedding dresses, which started from 7,000 lira last year, started from 15,000 lira this year and can fetch much higher prices than preferred models. While the price of an average wedding dress is around 20-25 thousand lira, the price of an average groom suit increased from around 3 thousand TL last year to 7 thousand TL this year.

On the other hand, while the prices of locally produced flowers increased by around 80 percent, the price increases of imported flowers reached 250 percent due to the effect of the exchange rate. The rise in flower prices was reflected both in bridal bouquets and in the prices of vehicle decorations.

With the effect of the fact that the tulle used in the decoration of wedding cars are imported products, the decoration of wedding cars has increased by more than 100 percent this year. Although the choice of live or artificial flowers in the bridal bouquet affected the cost, prices for live bouquets were 3,000 TL and prices for artificial flowers were 800 TL.

AVERAGE WEDDING PLACE 100 THOUSAND TL

Compared to last year, prices for wedding venues have nearly doubled. Although the prices vary according to the number of people who will attend the wedding and the characteristics of the place, those who will be married must allocate a budget of approximately 100 thousand TL for an average wedding venue.

While prices vary depending on your preferences for indoor or outdoor weddings, with or without dinner, the indoor wedding venue for 200 people without meals starts from at least 30,000 TL, while the average price reaches 60,000 TL.

For a country wedding with dinner, the cost is considerably higher than in wedding halls. While the cost of a rural wedding varies depending on the number of guests, prices for one guest range from 350 to 1,500 TL. While the average price for an organization with 300 people is 150,000 TL, the most affordable places start at 100,000 TL.

THE NUMBER OF WEDDINGS, NOT THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, DECREASED

Wedding.com CEO Emek Kırbıyık told sozcu.com.tr that weddings are directly affected by inflation, but they have yet to see a decrease in the number of weddings.

Kırbıyık stated that in the times when the economic crisis was felt the most, the number of weddings did not decrease before, but the number of guests attending the wedding decreased.

Emphasizing that the number of weddings decreased due to the increase in the economic crisis, Kırbıyık stated that such a decrease has not yet been experienced this year.

300 THOUSAND TL AS THE MOST STANDARD

Saying that the wedding costs have increased by 100 percent, Kırbıyık stated that they have separated the wedding costs as wedding day costs and household items costs.

Kırbıyık said that the cost of the wedding day, which consists of the wedding venue, wedding dress, groom’s suit, wedding car and flower items, is 150,000 TL for 200 people, and that the cost differs at wedding hall and country weddings. .

Kırbıyık said that when the wedding hall is preferred, the cost is 80-90 thousand lira, while in a rural wedding with dinner and alcohol, the prices rise to 300 thousand lira.

Saying that they calculated the cost of household items at an average of 150 thousand lira, Kırbıyık said, “We were calculating an average cost of 300 thousand lira in total, but these costs have increased with the increase in dollars in the last month. . This year I think that those who are going to get married with a very standard wedding and household items cost an average of 300 thousand lira, ”she said.