· Modest marriages: 56% of those set to marry in 2017 are planning a mid-range budget
· High street is the new high end: 19% of Brides are planning on wearing a high-street gown
· DIY before I DO: 26% of Brits have made homemade items to save on costs
· Convenient collections: Two in five Brits opting to click and collect their wedding haul
June 2017: New research from CollectPlus reveals that affordable weddings are all the rage in 2017, with a whopping 56% of Brits planning a ‘mid-range’ budget for their upcoming nuptials. Brides and grooms who are set to get hitched this year will be spending an average of £11,411 on venues, outfits and all the wedding related trimmings, almost half the cost of getting married ten years ago, which was billed at a whopping £20,000.
A look across the country reveals that Londoners are the most likely to spend the most, setting aside an average of £13,825 on designer nuptials, followed by those in Norwich and Birmingham, who will be setting aside £12,195 and £12,095 respectively. Meanwhile, those in Brighton have the most modest budgets, earmarking £5,933 to cover the cost of their weddings.
It’s All About The Dress
Despite newlyweds planning modest weddings this year, brides are still prepared to spend a healthy chunk of their overall budget on finding the perfect dress, carving out an average of £1,283 on a gown to walk down the aisle in and £956 on the perfect pair of matching shoes. Although almost half (48%) of brides will be sourcing their dresses from a bridal boutique, nearly one in five (19%) are turning their attention to the high street to find their dream outfit and planning to wear a high-street equivalent for their big day, off the back of new bridal collections launched by retailers including ASOS, Missguided and Topshop.
Of those that are prepared to purchase something for their wedding from a high-street retailer, half (50%) say this is because they’d prefer to put the money towards other wedding costs, with over one quarter (28%) choosing to splurge on their honeymoon instead. Meanwhile, nearly one third (32%) find designer boutiques overpriced.
This year’s newlyweds are also set to part with an average of £1,005 for food and drink and £893 on entertainment for the reception, carving out £714 on flowers and £644 on wedding cake.
Cutting Costs Before Cutting The Cake
While Brits are prepared to splash out on certain things ahead of tying the knot, many couples are finding savvy ways to make clever savings ahead of their big day. Brides and grooms to-be will be indulging in a spot of DIY before saying ‘I Do,’ with over one quarter (26%) of those planning get hitched this year planning to create their own wedding invitations and flower arrangements to further bring down costs. Meanwhile,7% have asked their bridesmaids to contribute towards the cost of their outfits.
Convenient Collections
When it comes to getting their all-important items delivered ahead of the big day, nearly two in five (39%) brides and grooms-to-be are opting to click and collect items from their nearest delivery location rather than picking them up in-store. Over half of Brits (58%) say this is as they prefer the convenience of getting items delivered to a location near their homes, while almost one in ten have specifically done so to avoid their fiancé seeing their outfits.
“With so much preparation and planning ahead of the big day, getting items delivered to a location near you can be a handy alternative to collect items that you might not be always be at home to receive,” said Catherine Woolfe, Marketing Director at CollectPlus. “With high street bridal collections growing in popularity, we’re seeing more people use click and collect as a convenient option for those who want to pick up and return items at a time and place that suits them - perfect for time strapped brides and grooms who are about to say I do.”
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