For richer or poorer! The cost of attending a wedding in Ireland has soared in 2015, according to new research carried out by Bank of Ireland and weddingsonline. Seeing a friend or family member say "I do" now sets a guest back over €800 when all related costs are taken into account. With most of us attending two weddings a year (and 20 per cent attending four or more), that's a high price to put on bearing witness to a declaration of love. The biggest expense associated with a wedding is the amount of money spent on a gift, followed by the accommodation and the cost of taking part in the hen or stag. Whilst most of those polled claimed they would spend less on a gift for ‘just a friend’ (between €100 and €150), 40 per cent admitted to spending more than €200 on a gift for a family member and up to €200 for a very close friend. Wedding guests give what they would like to receive also, with 87 per cent claiming they will give cash as a wedding present and 94 per cent saying they would prefer to receive cash rather than a gift on their own special day.