Wedding planning more time-consuming than ever, study claims

Two in five married adults say organising their wedding felt like taking second job

Research found couples spent more than 11 hours looking for the perfect wedding dress (Getty Images)

Planning a wedding is more labour-intensive than ever, according to a study.

A survey of 2,000 married British adults found two in five thought the process of bringing the elements of a wedding together was now more time-consuming than it would have been 20 years ago.

And 39 per cent said organising their wedding felt like taking on a second job.

It also emerged the average couple will dedicate more than nine hours to the laborious task of whittling down their guest list.

Six hours were dedicated on average to picking the perfect flower arrangement for the venue, and 11 hours were spent looking in bridal shops for dresses.

A further eight hours were spent researching and speaking to caterers who might be suitable for the big day, and nine hours went on deciding where to go for the honeymoon.

A spokesperson for Virgin Holidays, which commissioned the study, added: “Pulling all the threads of a wedding together can feel like an impossible task, and it’s no wonder brides- and grooms-to be feel daunted by the prospect.''

When asked to think about the aspects of the wedding they worried about earliest in the process, most married Britons said they tackled securing the venue first.

Arranging the party favours, hair and make-up and decorations were the tasks most likely to be left until the last minute.

Finalising the guest list was considered the most stressful aspect of the process followed by finding the perfect wedding dress and organising the catering, according to the OnePoll study.

Yvonne Bakouris, who has been a wedding planner at Virgin Holidays for 20 years, said: “Pinterest and Instagram have changed the wedding planning process immensely – and made destination weddings seem much more appealing for the average person.

“Twenty years ago having a destination wedding was fairly unusual, but now 14 per cent of British weddings are held abroad.

“That is both a blessing and a curse for us in the industry – people are going onto these sites and social media looking for ideas for weddings, and seeing larger, bolder, more challenging events.

“The challenge is ensuring you find a wedding that’s right for you.”

The Virgin Holidays spokesperson added: ''While it’s unsurprising to hear the majority of couples wade in with the arrangements, hiring a third party can be a simple way to keep those doubts and worries in check throughout the process.”

SWNS