The True Price Of Paradise
Research Reveals You Can Reduce The Cost Of Your Wedding Day By Almost 70% By Marrying In The Caribbean
Getting married is one of the biggest events in many people's lives, it is also one of the most expensive. New research reveals the average UK wedding costs a staggering £23,141.
This research, undertaken on behalf ofspecialist travel agency, SN Travel, shows that a Caribbean wedding can deliver greater value, which comes as welcome relief to couples planning their weddings. Following close analysis of open data from wedding suppliers across the globe, it has emerged that the Caribbean is not only a viable alternative to the UK, but can actually shave £9521 off the total cost of a wedding, with Antigua coming in at the cheapest island in the Caribbean for a destination wedding.
Working in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, who fly extensively across the Americas, the research looked at the eight variables that engaged couples in the UK will be considering in the run up to their big day. As well as venue hire, the research takes into account pricings around flowers, hair and makeup, entertainment and the all-important wedding dress, to name a few.
Taking into account a standard £9,500 for extras, including the wedding dress and rings, the typical price of a UK wedding without the extras comes in at just over £13,600. A typical Antiguan wedding comes in at only £4,120, which makes it over 69% cheaper to get married in Antigua compared to the UK. Saint Lucia comes in a close second place at £5664 and third is Dominican Republic, where a comparable wedding will likely cost £5740.
London tops the results as the most expensive place in the UK to marry, at £23,806, and, while there is variation, there is no clear UK North/South divide, as might have been expected. The usually expensive Home Counties, in fact, offer a mixed bag of results, with Surrey the most expensive (£19,231) and Buckinghamshire the cheapest (£17,511). Tyne and Wear is the cheapest place to marry in the UK, where the average wedding costs £16,024.
The two variables that represent the greatest opportunity for savings are in terms of venue hire and DJ/Band hire. While every Caribbean destination priced a DJ/Band at less that half of the UK charge, £1,161, the greatest savings can be found when it comes to venue hire.
London venue hire tips the scales at £5,564, whereas the most expensive destination in the Caribbean is Jamaica, which is priced at £1,417. Changing Caribbean islands can push venue hire down dramatically, with the Dominican Republic priced at £690 and Barbados priced at £704. This represents a possible saving of over 87%.
"We have seen a steady increase is destination weddings and many more resorts offering locations for weddings. This brings the cost of a destination wedding down even further. Couples getting married abroad have much more freedom as prices are significantly lower meaning the option to have a wedding on a private island with all inclusive spa treatments, 5 star luxury accommodation for two weeks, plus flights to the Caribbean included is still 65% cheaper than the cost of the average wedding in the UK." Commented Sandra Dyer, SN Travel Director.
The research for this study was carried out by an independent party, for SN Travel, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic. The research focused on like for like data. Statistics that feature in this release have been collated using open data from The Wedding Wire, BrideStory, MyWed, Hitched, WedMeGood and TripAdvisor. All statistics are calculated on average. See the full ‘Cost Of A Wedding' report.
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About SN Travel
SN Travel is an award-winning travel agency in London with 45 years of expertise in long haul holidays. Offering tailor-made honeymoons, destination weddings and holidays, SN Travel is a boutique travel agency providing an intimate service to travelers across the UK.
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is a long haul airline that was establish in 1984. The pioneering airline was the first airline to introduce Premium Economy, a bar in every Upper Class cabin, and the fully flatbed seat. Virgin Atlantic is also the first to fly a commercial aircraft using only biofuels.