By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The average cost of a British wedding where the couple barely meet current standards of fashion is 20,273 pounds to be exact. But the credit crunch has sent the figure plunging, down to an unbelievable 480 pounds for a bare-to-the-bones wedding in Devon.
In a period of pound-ed distress when thought counts more than action, Britons, well, those without private airports and customised dinners to be precise, throng the High Street for their low-end shopping.
Barn eggs are the best bet, howsoever less nutritious they may be in compassion to the free range shelled stuff. Bread comes out from the home oven than the supermarket. Visiting the local fair or taking a dip in the community swimming pool is a desired holiday fare.
Fashion, too, has borne the brunt of the tight pocket. Even bridal fashion.
Showing the way is a British couple who made it to the altar in what is considered the cheapest wedding ever.
But the bargain basement budget-tag did not mar the happiness of Odette Fenwick, 19, and her groom, Christopher May, 21. “The money is irrelevant. It’s just a special day.”
To avoid getting into debt in these times, the couple scoured internet auction site eBay, charity shops and budget stores to find almost everything they needed for their bargain basement special day.
Christopher and Odette spent 52 pounds on a second-hand wedding dress, 19 pounds for both rings and 40 pounds on party food from a budget supermarket.
The civil ceremony cost 43.50 pounds and around 20 guests attended a reception in the grounds of the groom’s work place – an engineering plant.
The couple, who have a five-month-old daughter Bailey-Ann, provided food and drinks for nine – themselves, the best man and close family.
But the other 20 guests at the ceremony plus another 20 at the reception were asked to bring their own food.
The couple will even have a free memento of their big day by the BBC money programme that was filming the wedding and reception and will give them some footage.
The newlyweds will even be saving on their honeymoon – they are not having one, reports Daily Mail.
After the civil ceremony at Barnstaple, Devon, newly married Odette said: “Most brides would want their dress to costs thousands of pounds but that wasn’t ever an option for me.”
“The price tag does not matter, it is the meaning of the day which is important,” chimed in Christopher.
Just in case you want to know what cost what, here’s part of the list:
Groom’s suit for 90 pounds, bride’s tiara for 7.99 pounds, veil and satin gloves for 10 pounds, three-tier wedding cake for 80 pounds, flowers for 25 pounds, party food for 40 pounds, plastic champagne glasses for 14 pounds, 12 bottles of Chardonnay for 10.68 pounds.