Good weather on your wedding day? Priceless

When it comes to the perfect wedding, good weather is top of Brits' wish list according to the latest research by Alliance & Leicester Personal Loans. With the long summer days, it should be the perfect time for tying the knot in the sun. However, the unpredictable UK weather means that there is no guarantee.

However, whilst love may well be in the air this summer, there is a great deal of uncertainty among Britons over the total cost, and the cost of individual aspects, of a wedding.

The research reveals that a modern wedding is likely to be a lot more costly than people expect, with a possible budget shortfall of 22%. The average wedding actually costs £19,400, nearly £3,500 more than the £16,000 those surveyed expect their big day to cost.

Richard Al-Dabbagh, Head of Personal Loans at Alliance & Leicester, said: "Money can't buy you everything for the perfect wedding, with the weather being unpredictable at best. This was best illustrated in the recent Rooney wedding, where even a total spend of £5 million on their Italian nuptials could not stop the day being a wash-out.

"Most Brits can only dream of a budget like Wayne and Coleen's, so it is unsurprising that we have lower expectations of what a wedding will cost. Even so it appears that the actual cost of the Big Day is greatly underestimated, and it is essential to assess finances when budgeting for your special day. It may be sensible to opt for a low-rate personal loan to help with wedding day finances."

Carol Richardson from Confetti.co.uk explained: "The secret to a perfect wedding is in the planning. Most couples only expect to get married once, and naturally they want this to be the best occasion of their lives. However, a good wedding is one where both parties are happy and relaxed. Careful planning means setting a realistic budget from the outset, shopping around for a low rate loan, as well as the best deals on products and services."

For those considering applying for a loan to help pay for a wedding, or switching provider, Alliance & Leicester's website alliance-leicester.co.uk, provides access to useful tools including a handy Loan Calculator, to help people assess how much they can afford to borrow and how long they wish to spread their repayments.

Of the items for a dream wedding with no price tag attached, good weather was a must for those in Norwich (82%), whilst Brides to be in Northern Ireland were most likely of all regions to place an emphasis on a handsome groom (56%).

Londoners place the most stock by a designer wedding dress, 17% say this is a must have for their dream wedding, compared to just 5% of those in Brighton.

Famous for spawning bands such as Take That and Oasis, Mancunians are most likely to count having a famous band or singer in their top ten wedding wish list (11%).