A Wedding is an Expensive Affair, just Ask the Father of the Bride
>> Oct 7, 2012
Traditionally
it is the father of the bride who foots the bill for the wedding of his
daughter. Although times are changing and many families share the cost, there
is still a lot to pay for. Wedding venue, wedding reception food,
entertainment, wedding gown, bridesmaids’ dresses and myriad other odds and
ends which complete a traditional wedding all add up. If you have an A list
film star income no problem; if you're income is of more modest means perhaps
you should read on…
If you
know what an average wedding costs it may be because you have had to pay out
for one in the recent past, or maybe in the process of organising one. If you
don’t know and are prepared to find out, make sure you're sitting down first.
The average cost of a wedding in the UK at the last count was somewhere in the
region of £20,248.00 in 2012. Thank goodness that there are bank loans which
can be arranged to take up the slack if you run out of money.
Whatever
you do don’t put the cost on a credit card, even if it is only a few hundred
pounds. Bank loans are the most cost effective and cheapest method of borrowing
money other than borrowing it from a relative, but seriously how many people
have relatives with that much cash on the hip ready to loan out? Given that
interest rates are at historically low levels bank loans are now better value
than they have been for many years.
Forget
the wedding - be scared of the honeymoon
If you
thought the cost of a wedding and all the trimmings on the day was an expensive
item, don’t even think about the honeymoon. Thirty five years ago a weekend
away in Norwich or some other provincial town would have sufficed, or maybe a
week on the Isle of Wight. Nowadays it is the Maldives, Dominican Republic or
other exotic destination which beckon and a honeymoon there wouldn’t be
complete without:
●
Swimming
with dolphins
●
Snorkeling
a local reef
●
Learning
to scuba
●
Sightseeing
the local ruins, temples or markets
●
Champagne
breakfasts
These
items and more cost money and increasingly the cost is being shared round
between both sets of parents and the bride and groom themselves, such is the
expense. Rather than have a wedding list many couples prefer to have a cash
contribution which they can use to pay for the honeymoon or other wedding
expenses.
You
could say don’t be too extravagant but for more and more people their wedding
day is the one special day they can look back on together with their honeymoon
holiday and say they did it their way, before reality sets in and kids come
along.
If you
can pay for it outright with cash you're probably one of the lucky ones and all
power to your wallet. For everyone else there is the option of bank loans from your local
friendly bank to spread the cost and keep your stress levels low.