Men spend less on engagement rings

Last Modified: 18 May 2008
Source: PA News

The credit crunch only seems to be affecting men when it comes to weddings with bridegrooms spending £400 less on engagement rings than a year ago, according to a survey.

But while male members of the population are tightening the purse strings before they make their vows, brides-to-be show few signs of cutting corners in the parts of the big day they are in control of.

The average spend on an engagement ring has gone down by £400 in the last year to £1,436.

Yet the women putting up with a cheaper rock on their finger are still shelling out as much as ever when it comes to tying the knot.

The overall cost of the average wedding remains steady at £20,000, the annual survey by Wedding magazine found.

Couples are engaged for an average of 23 months and will have been together approximately three to four years. The average age of women on their wedding day is 29.

When it comes to preparation for saying "I do", a quarter of couples due to tie the knot plan to have dance lessons, while a quarter of women and 11% of prospective grooms plan to get their teeth whitened.

Half of the brides-to-be questioned plan to have a fake tan spray and 74% said they would be going on a diet. Cosmetic surgery was considered by 4% of respondents, up 2% from two years ago.

But in a hint at growing financial pressures, half of those surveyed revealed they don't plan to have a gift list with 25% asking for money and 18% preferring vouchers, Wedding said.

The Register Office came up as the cheapest venue, where an average wedding costs £9,797.

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