Royal wedding fever sees average wedding cost skyrocket to £32,000

Couples in Britain now spend on average £32,000 ­on their big day – up £27,161 from last year. In London, it’s even more – with the average pair dropping £40,000 on their nuptials, according to an annual survey by Hitched.

To put this into perspective, that’s 16% more than the average salary in the UK.

Weddings are a particularly hot topic for the nation this year, as we saw Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tie the knot at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, with Princess Eugenie and her fiancé Jack Brooksbank to follow suit in October.

Inspired perhaps by romantic spirit in the air, couples are investing more than ever, with certain elements making up most of the cost.

The biggest spend tends to be on the venue, which costs £5,221 on average – compared to £4,354 last year. Feeding guests comes close behind at £4,151, while average drink costs total at £1,739.

The average wedding dress comes in at £1,321, with the engagement ring costing £2,657.

Despite the considerable cost of the big day, most couples still keep enough for a honeymoon, with the second biggest spend – £4,545 – spent on their romantic getaway for two.

The royal weddings aren’t the only explanation for the rising cost of weddings. It was also noted by the survey that people are marrying later, and therefore have more cash to splash. The average age of a bride is now 35 – up four years compared to 2017 , while the average groom is 37 – also four years older than the previous year.

As for the wedding venue, it’s all about romantic, pastoral weddings this year – even despite Britain’s notoriously changeable weather. The survey noted a shift in the trending venue choice from hotels to the barns and farms, which have proved more popular in the last year.

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