HOW much should you spend on your wedding? Well, that largely depends on your budget and whether you want that dream fairy-tale wedding or low-key nuptials – with the current cost-of-living crisis making many choose the latter or even putting their big on hold for a period.

According to the wedding planning website Hitched, the average cost of a wedding in the UK in 2022 was £18,400. It states: “This is 6% up on the average cost of a wedding in 2021, which was £17,300 and up 102% from 2020 when the pandemic restrictions saw wedding spending drop to an average of £9,100.”

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The survey of more than 2,400 couples who got married in 2022 found the average venue cost was £8,400 – this will be the biggest outlay for most couples although it will depend on the venue and the time of year.

Other major average costs were for the wedding dress (£1,350), the wedding photographer (£1,300), flowers (£1,050), and catering (around £70 per person).

Hitched also points out that according to its survey, nearly half of all couples (47%) went over their initial wedding budget in 2022.