Cost of average British wedding hits all-time high

And the third biggest cost is the food

Sarah Young
Saturday 09 September 2017 10:27 BST
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When people get married or cohabit, food can become central to the relationship as couples share meals and treats like food and drink, according to researchers
When people get married or cohabit, food can become central to the relationship as couples share meals and treats like food and drink, according to researchers

Despite the rise of high-street bridal collections and the fact that more than half of married Brits regret spending so much on their wedding, it seems that couples in the UK are still willing to splurge when it comes to saying “I do.”

While it’s meant to be the happiest day of your life, it’s likely that your nuptials will also be the most expensive 24 hours you’ll ever have as the average cost of a UK wedding has hit an all time high.

According to a new survey of 4,000 brides, the average cost of a UK wedding is now a whopping £27, 161 the highest it’s ever been and up 9.6 per cent from last year.

Also revealing how wedding spending varies by region in the UK, the average cost of a wedding rises to £33,884, while couples from the Midlands proved the most frugal, spending an average of £25,915 on their wedding.

The data collected by the free wedding planning website Hitched shows how ridiculously expensive nuptials are becoming with the biggest elements on average being venue hire (£4,354), honeymoon (£3,630), and the food (£3,353).

Similarly, the average cost of an engagement ring now stands at £2,084, up 17.6 per cent from three years ago. Londonders spend the most on theirs shelling out £3,133 while couples from the Midlands spent £1,810.

It also turns out that contrary to tradition, parents are no longer the sole financial contributors for the big day as 51 per cent of couples pay for it with little help from family members, while 32 per cent fun it entirely by themselves.

“It seems most couples are paying for their big day with a little family contribution, and inviting more guests to their day and evening celebrations too – both of which could account for an increase in total spend compared to last year,” said Sarah Allard, editor at Hitched.

“Perhaps less surprising that the average cost of an engagement ring is now the highest it’s ever been with one in three brides now involved in choosing their ring too.”

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