£4.6bn bill for UK wedded bliss

Men and woman have differing ideas about the ideal marriage

Tying the knot may be falling out of favour, but more people are walking down the aisle in style.

This year analysts expect Britons to spend £4.6bn on tying the knot, an increase of 40% on 1998.

According to Mintel, the average cost of a wedding has risen from just £10,700 in 1998 to just under £16,000 this year - an increase of 50%.

Experts say the increase is down to people marrying later, and having more money to splash out on what they want.

Older and wiser

In 1998, the average age at which a man got married for the first time was 29.8 years old, and women were 27.7 years old.

In recent years that age has increased, and is expected to reach 31.6 for men and 29.3 for women in 2004.

Wedding trends Average cost of a honeymoon: £2,475 per couple 12% would never honeymoon abroad 11% of marriages take place abroad One in five men have "conservative" views about overseas weddings, compared to one in seven women

Louise Scodie of Confetti.co.uk, a wedding service website, said that older brides had more freedom to dictate the kind of wedding they wanted.

"Certainly the ones that are older have got their own budget. It gives them a bit more of a say so in what they want to do," she said.

Bikini brides

The expense of getting hitched has led to a big increase in people opting for "beach weddings".

Since 1998, there has been a 46% increase in the number of people tying the knot in warmer climes.

Getting hitched outside the UK can save couples more than just a few bob.

They spend on average £5,825 - much less than a wedding in the UK.

However, while many women fancy the idea of getting hitched with a tropical sunset as a backdrop, men tend to be more conservative, said Mintel.

Mintel said foreign weddings could lose some of their appeal in the future.

Jenny Catlin, author of the report, said: "Weddings abroad too may soon start to become a little less popular because many of the weddings can feel a bit mass produced and standardised."