Unmarried men will be nervously watching their girlfriends this Friday, when tradition dictates that women can propose. More than a quarter of a million people are expected to marry this year. The number of couples choosing to get hitched is falling, but costs of getting hitched have soared.

A large church wedding takes months if not years to plan. The average cost of becoming husband and wife is now £18,490, rising to £23,143 in London, according to Weddingplan, the wedding insurers.

Average costs include £1,069 for the perfect dress and £2,039 for wedding rings. The honeymoon is the biggest expense, at an average of £5,500, with the reception costs a close second at an average of £5,492. The final bill has soared 80 per cent in ten years as extras, such as a bespoke fireworks display, at £500, become de rigueur.

Carol Richardson, of Confetti.co. uk, the wedding planning website, says: “Some couples spend less on their wedding, but others can spend an awful lot more. It can be a lifestyle statement. Women go to the weddings of their friends and read about the weddings of celebrities in magazines and they want that magic.”

However, there are still plenty of ways that couples can keep a lid on costs, says Ms Richardson, for example, by limiting the number of guests, or choosing a date out of season in spring or autumn. Many venues offer substantial discounts for events on a Sunday or during the week.

The happy couple can also save money by making their own invitations, saving them £620, or ask a friend or relative to be the official photographer, saving about £1,000.

It is common for the groom to hire, rather than buy, his morning suit. Brides can trim the budget by opting for a designer outfit, which could cost a fraction of the price of a wedding dress. Alternatively, department stores, including Marks & Spencer and Debenhams, offer wedding dresses “off the peg”, although expect to pay extra for fittings and alterations. Prices at Debenhams start from £225, while Marks & Spencer have dresses online from £49.

However big or small the wedding, couples should sit down and draw up a budget, says Ms Richardson. “Make a plan of what you’re going to spend and then stick to it.”

To cover the cost of any accidents, some couples opt to take out wedding insurance, which can cost about £50, depending on the amount of potential problems covered, although Weddingplan offers a basic package for £27.50. Julia Harris, of Money-facts.co.uk, the financial website, says: “A great place to find wedding insurance deals is in magazines or online. When you’re spending £15,000 on a wedding already, paying about £50 for a little peace of mind is probably a good bet.”

To avoid worrying on their honeymoon, couples should also remember to add their wedding rings to their home insurance policy before flying off. Most travel insurance policies would class a ring as personal belongings, covering items only up to a value of £250, says Peter Gerrard, of Moneysupermarket.com, the price comparison website.

Research by Confetti.co.uk has found that 61 per cent of couples now pay for their weddings entirely on their own. When parents do contribute, it is common for them to pay for one part, such as food and drink at the reception.

Most couples save to cover the costs. If you are both contributing into an account to pay for the big day, make sure you also get the benefit of a good rate of interest. The Bradford & Bingley Internet Saver account returns 6.4 per cent, and you can access it at any time. The West Bromwich Star Easy Access Account pays a better 6.55 per cent, but you can get at your money only six times a year.

While some couples will save for their wedding, a quarter depend on loans, credit cards or overdrafts to pay for their big day. If couples do need to borrow money, the cheapest option is a personal loan. The cheapest rate available at the moment is through Masterloan, at a rate of 6.8 per cent. Borrowing £15,000 over 5 years would mean monthly repayments of £294.50. Coventry Building Society has the next best rate, at 9 per cent. However, loans for weddings are usually more expensive than loans for a car or house, because a wedding cannot be returned if you default on your payments.

Borrowing money, however, can be a risky strategy. Debt can put a considerable strain on a relationship and Relate, the relationship counselling service, says debt is a significant factor in two fifths of all break-ups. Philippa Gee, of Torquil Clark, the independent financial adviser, believes that couples who get heavily into debt paying for their wedding are just setting themselves up for an early divorce. She advocates stringent budgeting and a bit of delayed gratification. She says: “Couples need to remember that whatever they borrow to pay for a wedding, they can’t use to get on the property ladder or buy a bigger house for their family.”

Issues surrounding money can also affect a couple long after their wedding day, according to Mrs Gee. “It is important to be aware of what previous debts your partner may be bringing to your marriage, and for each of you to know about how the other manages money,” she adds.

When you marry, your credit file is effectively linked to your spouse’s, and if he or she has a poor credit history, it will damage the ability of both of you to borrow money.

CASE STUDY ‘MICE ATE OUR CHOCOLATE FAVOURS’

ROBERT and Antonia Edwards, from Dudley, West Midlands, discovered on the morning before their wedding that mice had eaten through their chocolate wedding favours. Luckily they had insurance with Marks & Spencer, costing £59, and were later reimbursed £500. Mr Edwards, 26, says: “A couple of favours dropped out of their packaging about a week before, but we didn’t think anything of it. It was only later that we realised mice had nibbled at the packaging.”

Mr Edwards, who works as a finance officer, and his 28-year-old wife, a sales assistant, planned their 200-guest wedding for 18 months. Their catering bill reached £8,000, but they cut costs in other areas.

And if it all goes wrong...

SIR Paul McCartney is expected to face legal bills reaching tens of thousands of pounds after his multimillion-pound divorce battle with Heather Mills. But for most couples, the final costs can be marginal, says Kate Allen, partner at Dawson Cornwell, a London law firm. She says: “The whole focus should be on not eating up their equity in legal costs. It would not be common sense to fight a costly battle in the courts.”

An uncontested divorce, including solicitors’ fees, could cost no more than £1,500, including court fees of £340. However, the bill can quickly escalate, cautions Dennis Hall, of Yellowtail Financial Planning. He believes that the final figure is closer to £3,000, once fees for lawyers, pension calculations, actuaries, valuations, Revenue & Customs and banks are considered.

Godfrey Freeman, a family lawyer involved with Resolution, a family law charity, encourages divorcing couples to agree to “collaborative law” in which both parties sign an agreement not to go to court. “On the whole it is cheaper and quicker at resolving matters. Court proceedings can be very expensive,” he says.

Prenuptial agreements can ensure that any divorce runs smoothly. An agreement can cost from about £1,000 to £10,000 and, although the document is not legally binding, courts will take it into consideration.

Ms Allen says that “prenups” could be a good idea for wealthy spouses, those getting married for a second time or those expecting to earn, or be given, large amounts of money over the course of their marriage. “If you are young, and don’t know where you’ll be living, whether you’ll be having children and have assets under £1 million, then you don’t really need one.”

The good news for newly-weds is that divorce rates are the lowest since 1984 – although 148,000 couples still dissolved their marriages last year.

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