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Recession hits wedding costs

12:49pm Monday 6th July 2009

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The cost of weddings has gone down but guests are paying a small fortune to see couples tying the knot, according to research.

As the recession takes hold, it is hitting romance with the average wedding spend down £5,000 from last year.

A poll of 4,000 people commissioned by the Living TV channel found the cost of a marriage celebration stands at £15,261 compared with £20,273 last year.

A further £3,288 is considered an appropriate amount to splash out on an engagement ring, the survey said.

Meanwhile, friends shell out £361 on joining in the special occasion, including the hen or stag do and present.

With respondents claiming to go to an average of three weddings a year, the figure rises to more than £1,000 a year.

The poll also concluded couples are breaking with certain traditions, with almost half (45%) of women making speeches at the reception and a quarter of men admitting they would choose a best woman over a best man.

When it comes to fashion when walking up the aisle, Princess Diana's wedding dress came top of the list among respondents.

More than a third (42%) voted the gown she wore to marry the Prince of Wales in 1981 as the perfect wedding dress.

Katie Price's pink Cinderella outfit, which she wore to wed Peter Andre, was selected as the worst dress by a third of those polled.

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