Most weddings 'on tick'

More than half of couples getting married this year will pay for their big day on credit, according to a new report.

Price comparison website moneysupermarket.com found 41 per cent of people planning to marry will use credit cards to cover the cost and a further 15 per cent will take out a loan.

The report says on average this year's happy couples will borrow just under £8,500 for their big day, with almost a quarter borrowing between £10,000 and £15,000.

All that borrowing has a consequence, with one in four couples who married five years ago still paying for their wedding.

The days when parents would foot the bill seem to be disappearing with only one in six questioned saying they relied on mum and/or dad to pay for the wedding.

However, Scottish couples buck this trend with over a quarter of weddings paid for by one or both sets of parents.

The findings also reveal a clear North/South divide, with 15 per cent of couples in southern counties borrowing more than £20,000 to get married, compared with only 4 per cent of those in the North.

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