Bride’s parents still expected to foot the bill for wedding

According to Nationwide Building Society just under a third (29%) of couples rely or will rely on the bride's parents to pay for their wedding, whilst 27% are considering or have considered not getting married at all due to the cost of the big day.

Those who do not rely on the bank of Mum and Dad which is just over two thirds (68%), will pay for the wedding themselves (62%), whilst 16% will rely on credit cards or loans.
 
With the average wedding costing £21,939 it is no surprise people are struggling to fund their big day and are having to make sacrifices and put plans on hold to be able to celebrate in style.
 
Some of the purchases people put off include:

29% put off holidays and travel
14% put off starting a family until a later date
12% put off buying a house
12% postpone buying a car

What are people looking at proactively doing to keep costs down? Those with an eye for a bargain are taking a DIY approach to their weddings to save money, for example:

Over a third (34%) use their own cars
32% make their own table arrangements
Over a quarter (26%) arrange their own flowers
29% buy their own alcohol
27% make their own favours
Over a third (34%) arrange their own catering

Graham Pilkington, Divisional Director of Banking Insurance & investment at Nationwide said: "The cost of getting hitched can be huge, so much so that many people are making financial sacrifices elsewhere, others are planning to get wed on the cheap, whilst some are putting their big day on hold altogether.
 
"Relying on the bride's parents to pay for your wedding is not possible for everyone, nor is it always practical to raid the piggybank, especially when we are talking about thousands of pounds! Planning your finances for a wedding is akin to buying your house; work out how much you can afford, prepare your budget and consider your finance options - whether it's starting to saving asap or looking at a loan or credit card"