Taming the shocking cost of weddings in the credit crunch

Getting hitched these days can be expensive for the families involved and guests alike according to money website fool.co.uk.

UK wedding stats

• 73% of people will attend an average of two weddings this year
• The average spend is £256 per guest per wedding on presents, travel and new outfits
• One in 12 guests will spend a whopping £1,000 
• One in three will put it all on their credit card

Given the credit crunch and the spiralling cost of living you might feel it's a good idea to be a bit more cautious when splashing out on this stuff. Certainly the last minute, credit card donation system Matt blogged about seems worth avoiding.

Laura Starkey, financial expert at Fool recommends creating a budget and saving up in advance if you can. Re-use an outfit - don't buy new. If you can't afford anything on the official wedding list - choose something original and cheaper yourself.

I'd add to that - you could try falling out with the people involved until it's all over. That way you can also avoid the ghastly wedding band, dire food, all those people at dinner who say "Still single? What a shame at your age" and of course you can skip the appalling hangover.