The Price of Weddings Has Doubled in the Last 10 Years
If you’re in the process of planning a wedding, you probably already know that a dream wedding can be very costly. According to the latest statistics, couples now spend an average of £21,000 on their big day. This is almost double the average amount spent on weddings just 10 years ago, with the number being £12,000 back in 2007.
There are other factors that play a role in increasing the price of weddings in the last 10 years.
Couples Are Splurging More
The main reason behind the steep increase in wedding costs is couples deciding to splurge more on their special day. It is not uncommon for soon-to-be brides and grooms to want their special day to be, well, special. Spending more money on the wedding ceremony or reception is becoming more common.
There are more things to spend money on too. The main traditions behind modern weddings remain the same, but today’s couples are adding personal touches to their special day. A personal website for the wedding ceremony, for example, is becoming more common. Couples love to display the tons of memories they have gathered together on a customised wedding website.
The same can be said for pre-wedding photos and videos. A few years ago, splurging on pre-wedding photos was lavish enough. Today, however, couples are spending more on getting personalised videos made. Some tell the story of how they first met, while others use a pre-wedding video to share their journey together with guests.
Femke Jenkins Photography
The Effects of Celebrity Weddings
The drive to have bigger, more luxurious weddings also comes from top celebrities. When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married in 2006, they spent nearly £775k on their wedding. Kim and Kanye’s 2014 wedding, on the other hand, was nearly £2.32 million.
Wedding service providers are taking advantage of these new trends to offer extra services and features to customers. Aside from the personalised website and pre-wedding packages, couples can also pay for custom flower arrangements, signature cocktails for the wedding reception, a photo booth where guests can have their pictures taken for free, and many other extra services.
While these services are reasonably priced, the individual costs quickly add up. Wedding experts believe that the trend of having a bigger, more expensive wedding will continue for several more years.
More Ways to Save
While couples are spending more on their weddings, there are also more ways for those who want to save and still have a beautiful wedding day. We’re seeing an increase of online resources such as UK Wedding Savings, which offer access to affordable wedding packages, gorgeous venues, and other extra services.
There are also many DIY projects that couples and their families can use to try to reduce the cost of the wedding further. Of course, nothing keeps the cost of the wedding in check better than careful planning. It is then easy to choose which wedding elements to splurge on and other expenses to save with proper planning.
Author: Carol Trehearn
photo/ Queena Deng via pixabay
