Photo: Olivia Leigh Photographie
When it comes to weddings, women are often painted as the worry-warts. But a recent survey reveals that men have their own concerns about attending a wedding event, and some may surprise you. Ebates recently surveyed more than 1,000 adults to uncover their biggest wedding-day worries.
Awkward Run-Ins
Of the men they surveyed, more than one in three say they’re worried about running into someone they don’t like, and that doesn’t surprise New York City-based Brilliant Event Planning wedding planner Sarah Glick. “Male wedding guests could definitely stress about this,” Glick agrees. “Men handle social situations differently from women. If a man gets seated next to someone he doesn’t like or stuck in a conversation with someone he’s less than fond of, it’s hard for him to make the best of it. Women may have ‘the gift of gab’ and can more easily find common ground, but men struggle with this and it can make things awkward.”
Blowing Their Budgets
Men (about 29 percent) were also concerned about spending too much money when attending a wedding. That’s understandable, considering it isn’t always cheap to be a wedding guest. (A wedding gift alone could run you up to $195. Eek.) According to Ebates, men will spend more on weddings they attend this year than women. The survey reveals that while more than half of women plan to spend just $25 to $100 on wedding gifts, about 45 percent of men plan to spend up to $250 per gift.
See More: How Guests Really Feel About Your Destination Wedding
Choosing the Perfect Present
What’s more, 24 percent of men are worried they won’t find the right wedding gift, no matter what they spend. “Finding the right gift is often something both men and women stress about,” Glick says. Stick to a couple’s registry for a gift sure to please the bride and groom, or speak to family members for unique (and useful) ideas if you plan to strike out on your own.
Looking Handsome and Healthy
But perhaps more surprising than their fear of wedding costs or gifts is that fact that 27 percent of men worry about finding the right outfit to wear to a wedding. “Men don’t often spend too much time in the dressing room,” Glick offers as an explanation. “If it fits, they tend to buy it,” and then risk regretting it later on. Men can hire a stylist, or take a friend shopping, to cut down on the chance they’ll buy something they won’t want to wear to a wedding, Glick suggests.
Lastly, the Ebates survey revealed that 21 percent of men are worried about losing weight before a wedding day. And all we can say, guys, is that all eyes will be on the bride and not those last five pounds you want to lose.