According to wedding planning websites, rising costs means the price of getting married has jumped from £18,400 a year ago
It is enough to give the groom cold feet and have the mother of the bride reaching for the tissues before the couple even say “I do” – the cost of the average British wedding has soared to an eye-watering £24,069 in 2023.
According to wedding planning websites, rising costs means the price of getting married has jumped from £18,400 a year ago, partly driven by couples opting for professional photographers and even drone footage. Meanwhile, the price of venue hire alone comes in at an average of £8,400.
After being delayed by pandemic restrictions, record numbers of couples are getting married this year, having had longer to prepare even more elaborate ceremonies.
Wedding day posts on Instagram include a couple who shared their first dance with a giant velociraptor dinosaur model and a bride who floated down the aisle suspended from helium-filled balloons, with pressure from social media and influencers encouraging more adventurous and costly weddings.