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Brides Flock Abroad As National Wedding Costs Soar
We conducted a survey for brides and brides-to-be, delving into their thoughts on 2021 weddings. COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of our waking lives and the wedding industry is no different. Over the past couple of years wedding plans have been scrapped across the globe, those going forward have experienced starkly different weddings to the ceremonies of their dreams. Family and friends cast aside, essential mask wearing, and forbidden receptions are just some of the hurdles brides-to-be have had to navigate in this global pandemic wasteland.
With the introduction of effective vaccines and the lifting of restrictions, the world has finally started hearing wedding bells again. Romance-starved couples rush to tie the knot in any way they can. But with the very real presence of COVID and lingering restrictions remaining, how do the UK’s population feel about hosting and attending weddings in 2021?
Wedding costs have spiked following the lifting of restrictions. According to a report published by Condor Ferries, the average cost of a UK wedding is £27,161 in 20/21. Indeed, this figure seems to be rising according to global travel provider Kuoni. It seems the lifting of restrictions has provided ample opportunity for a starved wedding industry to regain revenue at the expense of newly engaged couples.
We conducted a survey to delve deeper into the consequences of these soaring expenses. Over half of women asked said they would prefer to have a wedding abroad in 2021, despite the clear restrictions and difficulties surrounding international travel for friends and family. We found this figure to increase from previously reported 25% in 2019.
According to Kuoni, the average spend on a destination wedding is £7,500, nearly £20,000 less than the UK wedding average.
Couples are more aware than ever of rising ‘staycation’ costs as opposed to travelling abroad. With a COVID induced out-of-pocket pandemic, brides-to-be are rushing to airports to tie the knot over traditional British weddings. Covid may have had a huge global impact, but it’s certainly not stopping UK brides from getting the wedding of their dreams at a fraction of the price.
Analysis by consumer group Which? found that increased demand amid the pandemic had led to a steep rise in the cost of ‘staycation’ holidays across the UK over the course of 2020-2021. Concerning data from AirDNA shows a spike in rates of self-catered accommodation in the UK, with busy summer months soaring to 41% above equivalent prices in 2019. In fact, a family holiday to the Lake District was shown to cost £1,622 more than a trip to Italy.
The alarming staycation rate spikes appear to drive newlyweds out of the country for their honeymoons. Again, when asked if they’d prefer to travel abroad or remain local, 86% of women preferred to brave restrictions for overseas Covid honeymoons. With a clear cost-cutting option available for more exotic (And certainly warmer) vacations, the majority vote seems justified. With restrictions on global travel lifting, people are becoming more and more confident to take an airborne risk. It seems brides are no different, with months of disappointment and postponing honeymoon plans culminating in a clear indifference to the potential risks of travelling abroad and the deplorable costs of remaining in the UK.
Finally, let’s talk wedding hair. Our surveyed women agreed that their favouring bridal hair style was half up half down (38%), with Hollywood waves in close second (36%). Surprisingly, braided looks weren’t as popular, achieving only 11% of the vote. Want to learn how to style the most popular wedding hair of 2021? Check out our Half Up Half Down Bridal Hair Tutorial on YouTube.
If you’re in the 11% of braided hair lovers, you’ll love the winner of our Bridal Hair Styling Competition…
Announcing our grand champion, a true queen of hairstyling: @sophistic_hair. This talented Kent based bridal hair stylist knocked it out of the park with her braided wedding hair, giving us serious bohemian magical mermaid vibes. A soft and romantic look adorned with pearlescent accessories; this whimsical masterpiece was perfect for boho bride Tilly’s fun-filled fairground wedding. Full winners list here.
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