New research shows how much money people are spending on their weddings, and it’s an eye-watering amount.
For many people who opt to get married, holding a wedding ceremony is one of the most expensive things you will do. Flowers, venue, catering and the dress all add up. And let’s not forget that pricey hen do. In fact, the only thing that’s perhaps more expensive is saving for a house deposit.
With this in mind, some brides-to-be might be interested to know where the cheapest (and most expensive) place in the UK to get married is. Well, new research has come up with the goods, along with breaking down exactly how much money is spent on a typical ceremony.
Wedding website Hitched has released the results of a survey which looked into wedding price tags. It found that the average total cost is £31,974, which is up by 54% from £20,799 in 2014 (ouch).
Unsurprisingly, London is the most expensive area in the UK to plan a wedding, with an average cost of £39,763. This is followed by Northern Ireland (£33,162) and South East England (£33,116). Scotland is the fourth most expensive (£33,466) and North East is the fifth (£31,217).
Credit: Getty
South West England is the least expensive area to get married in, with an average price tag of £27,958. Some popular towns and cities in this area include Devon, Dorset and Gloucestershire. Other areas that are cheaper than the average sum include North West (£28,166), East of England (£28,814), Wales (£29,097), East Midlands £29,242 and Yorkshire and Humberside (£29,784).
Around 2,800 couples took part in the survey, disclosing the cost of their 2019 weddings. So what exactly are they spending these vast sums on? Hitched broke this down for us too.
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The most expensive part of a British wedding is the venue hire, with an average cost of £5,406. This is followed by the honeymoon (£4,645), food (£3,887), engagement ring (£2,419) and drinks (£1,587).
Other high average costs include:
Drink – £1,587
Wedding dress/outfit – £1,313
Photography – £1,155
Mini-moon – £1,135
Entertainment/music – £1,005
Video – £968
And when it comes to hen and stag parties, couples are now spending over £100 more than in 2018. Hens cost £472 on average and stags spend £552. Engagement party costs have also risen by 29% to £875.
Whether you want to push the boat out or are conscious of costs, this is all worth taking note of if you’re planning a ceremony for next year.
Images: Getty
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