Vietnamese wedding parties cost $4,800 on average Tuoitrenews This file photo shows the brides and grooms at their collective wedding ceremony organized in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011. Tuoi Tre According to a survey conducted by a foreign organization, the average cost of a wedding party in Vietnam is about VND100 million (US$4,800) for about 300 guests. However, this cost does not apply to parties held at luxury wedding venues. The figures were announced by Dr. Pham Bich San, deputy general director of the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associations, citing the results of the survey by Home Credit, a financial investment group operating in Central and Eastern Europe. The survey recorded and analyzed the expenses couples spent on their wedding ceremonies in seven countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China and Vietnam. According to the results, Slovakia is where couples spend the least on their wedding ceremonies, equivalent to only VND21 million, while Russia tops the list in expenses on such events, with VND300 million, most of which is on the rental venues for ceremonies. Typically, a Vietnamese wedding party costs VND200,000-500,000 ($24) per guest for food and beverage. In Kazakhstan, the amount is VND4 million. 29 percent of Vietnamese respondents said expenses for their wedding ceremonies came out of their own pocket, while the remaining 71 percent said they received support from their parents in organizing their events. Five years ago, most couples in the seven countries usually organized their wedding ceremonies indoors, but they now tend to choose outdoor spaces like parks or outskirts. Meanwhile, Vietnamese couples often hire a part of a restaurant or resort for their wed parties, and Russians like to organize their events at attractive tourist sites in foreign countries, including Indonesia, Italy and Czech. In China, a couple is given 10 days off by law for their honeymoon, while in other countries, couples have to use their annual leave for such trips. For Vietnamese couples, a honeymoon costs VND14-50 million ($2,400) on average, while in Russia and Slovakia, the expense is much higher, VND100 million or more. Considering Vietnam’s per capita income, VND100 million is very high, Dr. San said, adding that the money spent by Vietnamese on their wedding parties is too much, as well.