Would you do it like Posh & Becks?
Research, conducted by Tesco Personal Finance, shows that 51% of soon to be or newly married Irish couples said they would like a Posh and Becks type wedding with a big church, white dress, lavish reception and all the frills if money was no object. The figure for the UK is a staggering 79%.
The majority of Irish couples spend up to â‚ ¬7,000 on their weddings and seven in every hundred couples are prepared to invest â‚ ¬20,000 on their special day, according to the Tesco Personal Finance study. This contrasts with the UK research where one in three couples spend between â‚ ¬14,000 and â‚ ¬21,000.
Ms. Fay Hogg, Media Relations Manager, Tesco Personal Finance, said the study has shown finances play a key role in wedding plans and that, while 51% of couples would choose a Posh and Becks type wedding if money were no object, only 21% of people could actually afford it.
“Irish people are more likely to choose to get married in a traditional church with close friends and family. 41% of Irish couples compared to 12% of UK couples said they had planned this type of wedding,” Hogg said.
Ms. Hogg said that, while 32% of couples ask their parents to contribute, only 13% rely on parents or in-laws to fund the entire wedding.
“It is also interesting to see that progressively more couples (26%) are using credit cards and loans to finance wedding and honeymoon costs. 65% of Irish couples said they would consider using a credit card to fund any part or any shortfall to ensure they got the wedding they wanted.
“Using your credit card is one way to spread the cost and manage the budget for this special day. Those fortunate enough to own a Tesco Visa Card have the added benefit of getting Tesco Clubcard points when using it to pay for expensive items such as the reception or honeymoon. You can get points on all transactions made with the card,” she explained.
The study also reveals that Irish couples argue less than UK couples in the run up to the wedding. 62% of Irish couples suffered from a stress-induced syndrome called PMS or ‘Pre Marital Strife’ in the run up to their wedding while in the UK this figure was a staggering 93%.
“With almost half of Irish couples relying on parents’ contributions, it’s little wonder they are the biggest cause of rows. A significant 26% of couples cite parents as the reason that tensions reach breaking point,” Hogg said.
“Less surprisingly perhaps, wedding costs (56%) are the biggest cause of rows in the UK.”
Research was carried out by 72 Point Ltd. on 1,150 soon-to-be or newly married Irish couples.
