According to the 2009 marriage statistics, there has been an obvious decline in couples taking the plunge and tying the knot in comparison with the number of weddings in 1972, almost halving from 480,285 to 266,950(provisional). So, what does this mean for the wedding industry in 2011? Weddings are clearly still big business, with hotels continuing to take big bookings and bucking the recession trend. In addition, the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is creating a stir and churches hope that people will see the commitment and decide to do the same.
Couples get married for various reasons such as seeing it as the next step in their relationship or to show their devotion to one another. We filmed a wedding recently where the groom was adamant that he didn't ever want to get married, then he changed his mind due to the desire to unite as a family and adopt his partner's daughter. Cohabiting couples decide to live together for different reasons, and are not against marriage. Approximately two thirds of will eventually marry.
We spoke to a couple who got married in 1972 to get an idea of the changes in wedding costs over the years. Their wedding cost approximately £400, with their marriage license priced at 37.5p at the registry office, the cake was £5, clothes were £100 and food and drink came to £100. They didn't have a honeymoon as it wasn't financially viable, and were advised to have black and white photographs as they would stay better preserved.
Even though 30 years on statistics are showing an all time low in marriages, we don't see this negatively as priorities have changed. But those who do want to get married in the next few years should consider how they would like to remember their big day. Wedding photos and a video of the day is the perfect way to capture the memories forever.
References: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=322
