This Is What Weddings Now Cost In The UK

The average cost of a wedding in the UK is now £27,000, according to new research. That figure is even higher in London, where the average wedding now costs a hefty £38,666. The Independent reports that the averages were calculated by wedding planning website Bridebook, which looked at 20,000 ceremonies which took place last year. The largest outlay for couples planning their big day tends to be venue hire, which now costs an average of £5,727. Food and drink is the second biggest spend, followed by a bride's wedding dress, which costs an average of £1,268. According to The Independent, Bridebook also found that 62% of couples tying the knot pay at least half of their wedding bill, but only 22% pay for their big day in full. Some 29% of couples revealed that they had no defined budget for their big day. Six-figure weddings are most common in the south east of England, where 4% of weddings cost over £100,000. Refinery29 has recently asked two brides to spill the beans — anonymously, of course — on every wedding-related expense, from the dress to the table vases. Find out how one bride spent the UK average of £27,000 here, and how another bride spent more than double that figure here.