o One in three (32%) relying on parents to pay for wedding
o Wedding traditions have been lost but weddings still a family affair
o Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding is still the most memorable
Despite the UK being in the midst of recession, strained household budgets and people looking at every penny being spent, the importance and size of weddings has not wavered, according to Genes Reunited a leading family history website.
Research shows that 32 per cent are relying on the 'Bank of Mum and Dad' to pay for weddings and not just for small scale events with the average cost being around £20,000.*
As seen on Channel 4’s Gypsy Weddings young girls are aspiring to have elaborate weddings in keeping with Jordan and Peter, the Gypsy Wedding focuses on excess where the outfits are extravagant and the cakes architectural works of art. Extravagant weddings are mirrored across all of society with over a quarter (26%) saying that their wedding will be a big affair with a huge party, more so than the weddings of their parents or older relatives ever were.
Similarly like the Gypsy wedding, family remains at the heart of the event with over half (58%) the population feeling that a wedding is a key event for family and friends to come together.
Celebrity weddings continue to have an impact on modern day weddings as they always have done over the years, with one in eight (13%) trying to emulate their favourite stars. The UK voted their most memorable ‘celebrity’ wedding was that of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, and it is suspected that the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton will have much the same impact.
Rhoda Breakell, head of Genes Reunited, comments: “Marriage is a significant moment in people’s lives, for them, their family and friends. Our research shows that traditions are changing but the core meaning behind weddings is prevailing. As with the past, ‘celebrities’ of the day would set trends, styles and fashions and it seems no different today. Perhaps in the future girls will be modelling their special day on Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding as the dream to be a princess for one day remains."
Genes Reunited has over 95 million wedding records from 1837 to 2005, on its site, that have been made fully searchable. The family history site has also introduced a revolutionary marriage search tool, meaning the end of mystery marriages and endless searching of family history records. It will find all the possible matches within the records even if only one name is known. Alternatively, if the first or last name of the spouse is known you get an even more accurate list of possible spouse matches.
Rhoda Breakell, continues: "The wedding records on Genes Reunited give you a glimpse into the weddings of the past and can help people discover how their family became what it is today. This new way of searching the marriage records is an important tool for those searching their family history as it allows people to find their ancestors’ marriages more quickly and easily than ever before. Family history is more popular than ever and we hope that we can help even more people to start uncovering their family’s past.”
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