The trend for designer weddings is on the up, with a whopping half (49%) of Brits set to marry this year that plan to blow the budget – over double the 19% who planned a costly ‘do’ in 2014.

Even those couples not planning a lavish wedding this year are upping the ante, with Brits shelling out anaverage of £16,364 on swish venues, outfits and accessories. A 28% rise on the average outlay in 2014 and a substantial 36% increase on the average cost of £11,947 five years ago.

The desire for a lavish wedding has also seen a hike in spending on big ticket items, with a third of brides (33%) planning to splurge on a designer gown to walk down the aisle in, and the average bride forking out 40% more (£357) for their wedding dresses than in 2014.

A welcome boon for the retail and leisure industries, this year’s newlyweds will be partying with an average of £1,449 on food and drink, and £1,072 on entertainment for the reception, while slicing a massive £660 out of their accounts for the wedding cake alone – nearly double the £346 spent on wedding cake in 2010.