Money News
Couples looking to get married in 2007 can expect to pay an average £18,490 on their big day, according to the 9th annual wedding costs survey, conducted by wedding insurers, Weddingplan.
Over the past year the cost of getting married has risen at a rate of 6.8%, more than twice the rate of inflation, and in line with house prices (against a retail price index of 3.9% in November). And since the survey was first carried out in November 1998 (pricing a wedding in 1999), the cost has risen by 86%.
The cheapest place to get married is the North East where a traditional wedding on a shoestring costs £15,561. London is the most expensive place, with costs rising to £23,143.
The second most expensive place to tie the knot is the North of England, which has jumped to an average of £20,096 this year - up 18% from last year's £16,945. The North West is also above average, indicating that the local Cheshire WAGs' (wives and girlfriends) expensive tastes may have rubbed off on Northern brides to be.
A number of counties are closing the gap, with even previously cheaper areas such as East Anglia, the South East, the South West and Wales edging towards the UK average of £18,490. The tightly-banded results demonstrate that the wedding marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive UK-wide.
The survey was conducted by researchers posing as couples planning a June wedding. A variety of shops, hotels and other companies were approached to discover the costs of wedding attire, the church, flowers, transport, reception, honeymoon suite, stationery, photography and video as well as the rings and honeymoon.
For the first time in the survey's history Weddingplan also included the cost of a stag/hen weekend, a popular expense featured in most weddings nowadays. Costs for a one-night stag or hen do in the UK added a further average of £155; however alcohol and additional special features weren't included.
For those celebrating abroad, the cost rose to an average of £186 for stags and £176 for hens, not including flights, alcohol or activities. Top UK destinations for stags and hens included Brighton, Bournemouth, Newcastle while Budapest and Barcelona were included among the most popular European destinations.
02 February 2007 © Moneyextra.com
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