Columnist Nora Johnson: Big, splashy weddings

The average cost of a British wedding last year was £17,500, according to wedding website Hitched, while the average house price was around £300,000 this April, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Post-lockdown, everyone deserves a party but if, with the cost-of-living crunch, it’s now a choice between a big wedding or house deposit, I know what I’d choose.

Expensive weddings are a rip off. The bride and groom are a salesperson’s dream and the more add-ons they can sell you the better their bonus.

Who needs bits and pieces on the tables and fancy chairs. None of that will make you happier or the day more memorable. Unless you can easily afford the expense, keep it small and simple and make sure it’s relaxed and fun.

Anybody who considers a big, splashy party to be more important than a roof over your head is bad news. A wedding day only lasts 24 hours. A marriage can last a lifetime (though frequently doesn’t).

It makes far more sense to spend potentially limited funds on property as the length of marriage is invariably inversely proportional to the amount spent on the wedding itself. Simples!

Nora Johnson’s critically acclaimed psychological crime thrillers (www.nora-johnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99;£0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

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