Can we put a price on love? Well, despite the rise in DIY weddings and budget-friendly bridal collections, the price of an average UK wedding is sky rocketing year over year.
It seems that couples in the UK are willing to spend big on their big day with the average cost of a wedding reaching an all-time high. According to a new survey conducted by wedding planning site Hitched of 4,000 brides the average cost of a UK, wedding is now close to £30,000 just shy of $50,000 AUD and up 10 per cent from last year. Surprisingly the average cost varies by region in the UK, with some regions spending up to approximately $55,659 and others proving to be a little more thrifty spending approximately $42,570.
So, just what are our friends across the pond spending on the finer details of their big day?
The biggest expense by far is the venue hire, which costs on average $7,152 AUD, followed by the honeymoon which costs an average of $5,963 and most surprisingly the food at an average of $5,507. The cost of an engagement ring has increased by 17.6 per cent from three years ago, at an average cost of $3,423.
“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”, explains Sarah Allard, editor at Hitched. But diamonds are forever right?
However, when compared to the average cost of a wedding in Australia our friends in the UK are spending significantly less. Based on findings from a survey conducted by Wedded Wonderland, the average cost of a wedding venue is $15,500, a honeymoon could set a couple back by $7,000 and an engagement ring costs $10,000 on average.
It also turns out that contrary to tradition, parents are no longer funding the cost of the wedding as 51 per cent of couples paying for their own weddings with some contribution from family members and 32 per cent of couples are funding it all 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.
Image Credits: Cinematographer Kevin Johnson
Article written by Alison Donnellan
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