Parents are sharing cost of a wedding

The most common arrangement is for parents of the bride and groom to share the cost of their children’s big day, a study of 1,000 recently-married couples found.

The study, by savings bank ING Direct, also discovered a big increase in the number of parents paying for everything, up by half since 2006.

The report said the rise was due to increased financial pressure on younger people amid soaring education and housing costs.

Studies have suggested the average cost of a wedding is around £20,000, with one in three going over-budget by up to £3,000.

The average cost of a wedding present is now £93, although almost half of couples are just as likely to ask for cash instead, said the report.

One in five couples do not ask for any wedding presents, with 3 per cent suggesting charity donations.

Couples in the North East and West Midlands were more likely to rely on the bride’s parents than split the bill, with those in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber most prepared to see the cost split.