LOVE comes at a cost - £18,490 to be precise. That's how much it will cost the average couple to get married this year, according to wedding insurers, Weddingplan.
And while costs for the rest of the economy have risen by 4 per cent in the past year, the price of a wedding has risen by 6.8 per cent - meaning some companies out there are charging more than they should be for your big day.
Weddingplan's Mark Randerson said: "A wedding is one of the biggest financial outlays a couple will ever make. Shops say the bridal gown alone has gone up on average from £683 to £871."
The table below shows how much we will have to spend on individual items.
Item
| Average
|
3 x Adult's Bridesmaid Dress (Purchase)
| £519.45
|
Bridegroom's & Best Man's Morning Suits (Hire)
| £110.55
|
Bride's Dress (Purchase)
| £871.15
|
Bride's Shoes (Purchase)
| £68.61
|
Bride's Veil
| £80.62
|
One Child's Bridesmaid's Dress
| £105.63
|
Pageboy's Suit (Hire)
| £46.42
|
Bride's Bouquet
| £72.19
|
Bridesmaid's Bouquet
| £40.41
|
Buttonholes x 5
| £20.25
|
Mother of the Bride's Bouquet
| £16.09
|
Cars
| £310.60
|
Church
| £333.91
|
Honeymoon
| £5,500.00
|
Honeymoon Suite
| £233.32
|
Photography
| £1,045.56
|
Video
| £648.00
|
Reception
| £5,492.88
|
Stationary
| £620.99
|
Wedding Cake
| £315.11
|
Wedding Rings
| £2,039.10
|
Total
| £18,490.82
|
As ever, the cost of a wedding can rise and fall depending on where you live.
It will come as no shock that London is the most expensive place to walk down the aisle with the average ceremony and all the frills costing a whopping £21,628.10.
If you want a wedding on the cheap, head off to the North East of England, where it will set you back a mere £16,550.16.
