Average Cost of UK wedding

shellsuit

Epic_panther wrote: »

40% spend less than 5k? I simply can't see how...

Quite easily.

A big lavish affair isn't important to some people.

LEJC

All the way through this thread I have resisted making a comment but Epic panther's comment above may have persuaded me...

every wedding has a basic cost and thats for the legal documents etc...whatever else is added is done so by personal choice...therefore its very easy to have a simple wedding...

minerva_windsong

gingercordial wrote: »

Although we were spending lots of money, we spent it wisely, found good deals/discounts, used cashback credit cards and websites, cut out things that we didn't care about (eg chair bows, favours), did a booze run to France, and took up offers of services from friends and family as wedding presents (eg a friend of the family has a wedding car business so gave me that as a present, another friend is a graphic designer so he did the orders of service). We also hand-made a lot of stuff, eg the invitations, the cake (I had a week off beforehand and baked 250 cupcakes, never again), my bouquet and lots of other things. It could have cost a lot more, so I don't see it as being un-MSE to spend what you can afford and keep an eye out for bargains.

BUT your wedding should be what you want and what you can afford. I have been to plenty of weddings with all sorts of budgets and have always enjoyed them hugely if the bride and groom are happy.

Nobody should be condemned for spending however much they like on their wedding, whether that's a lot or a little, assuming they can afford to do so.

Hear hear!

Epic_panther wrote: »

40% spend less than 5k? I simply can't see how...

From this board, I can quite easily see how, especially if you're not inviting a lot of people (numbers seems to be the thing that drives the cost up a lot)/having it on a weekday/getting married in a registry office/not having a sit down meal or having the reception in a pub or function room and self-catering/buying things on eBay or on the high street etc.

spoonymoose

According to the BBC "the average British wedding now costs £15,000 to stage."

I found these points interesting too...

"In the 1930s, people lived at home, got engaged and started saving for a home. The bottom drawer was linen, towels and sheets. The wedding - in a church or registry office - was followed by the wedding breakfast, typically in the church hall, with tinned salmon and lemonade."


"Today's occasions are a result of peer pressure and people liking to put a much more "independent" stamp on them." - so very true... When my mum got married in 1978, my gran made her 3 tier fruit cake and her dress, her friend iced the cake, my grandparents and aunts made the buffet, my parents borrowed cars from their friend, a friend took the photos and video...


And they're still happily married after 33 years and are still exceptionally proud to show off their wedding video and photos. My mum doesn't remember how the place looked, or how many flowers were around/table decorations, she remembers the important and funny things such as changing her heels on the day as they were too high to kneel down in (for the church), the cake was so full of alcohol that it was sinking into the next layer, my dad's smile and tears in his eyes as he saw her walk down the aisle...


Those are the important things and those memories are free... The day is what you make of it, and I think the more things you try and add to the wedding, the more worry it'll probably cause.


Keep it simple, keep it reasonably priced and just remember, you won't remember the £500 flower arch that you walked under to meet the groom, you'll remember the smile on his face as he sees you...


Essay over methinks!

Curious_George_2

Epic_panther wrote: »

40% spend less than 5k? I simply can't see how...

not everyone has 100+ people at thier weddings,
some are very small family affairs with little fuss or fanfare and they are just as married as the people who are still paying off the days debts 5 years later

Chardonnay

I agree with this too. If Epic can afford it, why not? They sound like they earn well. Each to their own and who are we to judge what other people decide to do for their OWN wedding?!

Ours is coming in at about 10K, which is more than we originally budgeted for. I think I seriously underestimated all of the little bits and bobs that go with arranging a wedding. My dress was more expensive then I had wanted really, but I love it and that was one of the most important things to me to spend money (vain or not, I don't care ).

shellsuit wrote: »

I agree with that

If you can afford it and it makes you both happy then go for it.

jtr2803

Read this thread with interest.

I've been to weddings that cost in excess of £15k that were rubbish and I've been to £3k weddings that were awesome so I don't honestly believe the cost reflects the experiance as a whole. The truth is that it CAN be done on a very minimal budget but many brides do want exactly what they see in the wedding mags or on the numerous wedding programmes....it soon starts adding up.

An old friend of mine got a bargain £5k late deal for one of our areas most popluar venue, she still managed to spend almost £20k in total and will be paying it back for the next 5 years....shocking.

I can see how easy it is for a budget to get into double figures but I personally couldn't do it, a big fancy wedding just doesn't appeal to me at all, obviously I would like it to be 'nice' but I would rather spend the majority of my budget on an amazing honeymoon. If I had my way I'd get married abroad but I am not sure the OH's mum would approve :rotfl:. We have a good joint income so could probably save to spend £10k but that's just not me!