Things are getting so tight that people are starting to dread being invited to a wedding – the expense is a luxury they cannot afford.

The greatest cost goes to those that are actually getting married, but the dry cleaning of the clothes, the cash gift in an envelope… in fact, getting a wedding invitation through the post is like receiving a driving or parking fine.

Yes, it’s goodbye to those wedding receptions with 400 or 500 guests, because even if you send out 200, you’ll be lucky to get 150 affirmative responses to the invitation. Don’t misunderstand, the bride and bridegroom still want a big splash for the big day and tell the caterers to expect 300, but before a couple of months are out, they have to adjust the number down because people either haven’t confirmed or have politely declined the invitation, providing any face-saving reason other than they simply can’t afford yet another wedding to attend.

For this reason venues and caterers are lowering the price of the wedding-reception meal – since 2011 the price per diner has dropped by 30%. The Government pumping up the IVA on eating out has certainly not helped, either.

So if the cost per diner works out at between 50 and 110 euros, depending on the quality of the dishes and whether it includes a free bar, a couple attending somebody’s wedding is liable to hand over 200 or more in an envelope to their hosts to go towards the costs of the wedding.

During the “wedding season” you could end up being invited to at least two weddings in the same month and with one or both of you being out of work, who can afford that sort of attrition to the monthly budget?

Let’s face it, the amount of envelopes containing cash being handed over at a wedding is diametrically opposed to the amount of cash in envelopes being handed around the Partido Popular, it seems. Just joking!

(News: Spain)