27-04-2025
EXCLUSIVE Rise of the WEDNESDAY wedding! Weekday nuptials double in popularity as cash-strapped couples avoid tying the knot on a Saturday
Traditional Saturday weddings are slowly dying, as cash-strapped couples instead choose to tie the knot during the week to save thousands.
Two-thirds (66 per cent) of all marriages took place on Saturdays in 1999.
Yet this has since plunged to just 43.6 per cent in 2022, official figures show.
By comparison, the proportion of weddings which happen on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays has doubled over the timespan, MailOnline can today reveal.
Luxury venues typically ramp up their prices for couples wanting their big day to fall on a Saturday.
For instance, tying the knot at Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire would cost you at least £19,950 plus VAT from Monday to Wednesday in the low season.
An identical package on a Saturday – a 'simple and elegant' ceremony for 70 guests, 13 bedrooms for overnight accommodation and a three-course menu with booze, a three-tier cake and evening food – would set you back £27,500 plus VAT.
Some savvy couples have been using the cash saved to fund fancy honeymoons to exotic locations, according to experts.
Saturday weddings are extremely popular due to the unique benefit of having more guests able to attend during the day.
There is also typically no need for them to cut celebrations short so they can make work the next day – meaning the reception can continue late into the night.
Sundays are surprisingly unpopular, as although most people have the day off, they will usually have to be up early on the Monday morning.
Weddings nowadays, on average, cost around £20,000, according to Bridebook – a free planning app.
Hannah Rose, who has worked in the wedding planning industry for 15 years, thinks the changing consumer behaviour is down to couples becoming 'cheapskates'.
She told MailOnline: 'Midweek weddings are a budget thing. They are really trying to cut costs.'
But Ms Rose, who runs her own wedding planning business, said the savings tend to come from a cheaper venue.
She said: 'A lot of venues do deals during the week, because the space is there.
'The space is the space. If they've got the space available, they might as well get a price for it, but everything else is going to cost you the same.
'So if you're hiring a photographer or a planner or a cake, that's all going to be the same price because for a supplier, regardless whether you're doing the wedding on a Saturday or a Wednesday, it's the same amount of time.
'I think the only thing really, that you tend to find is definitely across the board cheaper during the week is your venue. You're more likely to get a deal during the week.'
Research from Bridebook, which claims to help plan 70 per cent of UK weddings, shows that couples on average can expect to save from £6,000 to £2,000 for a midweek wedding.
The ONS has suggested due more people having second and third marriages these days, they often have them midweek as these tend to be more low-key.
While the change in day may save the bride and groom thousands of pounds, it can be a headache for family and friends who would likely need to take annual leave to attend.
But although this can be negative, it is also another way that couples save money as the guest list shortens.
Instead of having to manually chop guests, which may include family members for those in a big family, Ms Rose says a midweek wedding will cut itself.
She said: 'Having a weekday wedding means people are at work, so if they're not that close to you they're probably not going to want to use their holidays to take the time off work. So that can help your guest list.
'One of the biggest things people say to me is, "how can I make my wedding cheaper?" And I say "have less people".'
As well as cutting costs, it can also make your wedding more intimate as only those closest to you might make the effort, giving a cozier setting.
But a midweek wedding might also have drawbacks, as the looming workday might cause a chunk of your guests to leave early and cause the dance floor to look empty.
Ms Rose said: 'The only thing you do find with a midweek wedding is, it does really dip off, and you just end up with like a handful of guests at the end of the night.
'If people have got to go to work the next day. They're not staying and partying all night long.'
Ms Rose also said a lot of those looking for midweek weddings were doing so because they wanted to get married in the same year, and getting a Saturday in the summer is difficult as couples often plan the big day years in advance.
She explained the wedding industry is now 'very, very different' than it was in 1999 due to social media 'completely changing' things.
'Gone are the days where you just get your dress and go to the church with a photographer, there's so many different things to consider now', she said.
But although some couples are looking to cut costs, others are leaning in the other direction and expanding their wedding to cover the entire weekend and even bank holidays.
If guests have travelled to a location for the wedding, some hosts are hosting events all weekend, such as a round of golf or a brunch the morning after the ceremony.
For couples on a shoestring budget, the Church of England charges a legal fee of just £675 for a church wedding anywhere across the country.
However, for those wanting to spend big, the sky is the limit, with some celebrity weddings over the years pushing the bounds of extravagance.
Back in 2006, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were wed in an extraordinarily lavish ceremony that cost a reported £1.5million ($2million).
At the time, the ceremony – which took place in an Italian castle and featured a performance by legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli – was one of the priciest in history.
Fast forward to 2014, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West also wed in a historical Italian venue and were serenaded by the aforementioned Bocelli. Their price tag? £2.1million ($2.8million).
