- Leicester has the country’s lowest median salary, meaning it would take someone saving 5% nearly 19 years to cover the average costs of a UK wedding
- Wandsworth residents would take the lowest number of years to save up – just over 11
- Average cost of a UK wedding is £16,005
Leicester is the area of the UK where residents would have to save the longest to afford the average cost of a wedding.
The study by beauty experts Cosmetify analysed ONS data on median salary in regions across the country, compared with the average cost of a wedding, which stands at £16,005.
The research revealed that Leicester is the area of the UK with the lowest median wage – a yearly take-home salary of £17,166.96. As a result, one person in a typical couple putting aside 5% of their wage would be saving £858.35 each year – meaning it would take more than 18 years to cover the average wedding cost.
If both people in a couple in Leicester are saving 5% of the median wage, then it still would take more than nine years to reach the £16,005 needed.
Torbay ranked second on the list of areas where it would take the longest to save for the UK’s average wedding cost, with 5% of the median wage (£17,199.60) coming to £859.98 a year. Therefore, a couple in the area would need more than 18 and a half years to save.
Third on the list is the Isle of Wight, where the average net salary of £17,281.20 would enable someone saving 5% to put aside £864.06 each year, so the wedding costs would take 18 years and six months to cover.
In contrast, Wandsworth is the UK region with the highest median monthly income, after tax, standing at £28,623.60. One person saving 5% of their wages would have £1,431.18 after a year, meaning the average wedding cost of £16,005 would be covered in just over 11 years – a full seven years quicker than someone in Leicester would take.
Westminster, and Camden, and the City of London have the second and third highest median salaries in the UK, so the time required to save for the average wedding cost is around 11 years and six months.
Out of the top 20 areas that would take the shortest time to save up for the average UK wedding price, 70% are London boroughs.
Outside of London, East Surrey’s median wage of £23,531.76, would enable someone saving 5% to reach £16,005 within 13 years and seven months. A similar amount of time is required in West Surrey, where the annual salary after tax is slightly £23,303.28.
Commenting on the study’s findings, a spokesperson for Cosmetify said: “A wedding is one of the biggest days of anyone’s life, and the costs can mount up quickly. Traditionally the father of the bride is expected to cover the costs, but that’s not an option for everyone, so it’s sobering to see just how long it can take to save for the UK’s average wedding cost.”
The analysis was conducted by Cosmetify, which brings together thousands of brands and hundreds of retailers on one platform to ensure a simple shopping experience and allow the consumer to compare the prices of their favourite products at a glance.
|
Areas of the UK that would take the shortest time to save up for an average UK wedding (based on one person earning the median salary and saving 5% of their take home pay) |
||
|
Area of the UK |
5% of annual wage saved |
Years required to save £16,005 |
|
Wandsworth |
£ 1,431.18 |
11.28
|
|
Westminster |
£ 1,418.94
|
11.51
|
|
Camden and City of London |
£ 1,389.97
|
11.51
|
|
Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham |
£ 1,357.33
|
11.79
|
|
Lambeth |
£ 1,270.02
|
12.60
|
|
Tower Hamlets |
£ 1,254.11
|
12.76
|
|
Bromley |
£ 1,252.48
|
12.77
|
|
Lewisham and Southwark |
£ 1,220.24
|
13.11
|
|
Haringey and Islington |
£ 1,205.96
|
13.27
|
|
Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton |
£ 1,198.21
|
13.35
|
|
East Surrey |
£ 1,176.59
|
13.60
|
|
Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames |
£ 1,167.20
|
13.71
|
|
West Surrey |
£ 1,165.16
|
13.73
|
|
Bexley and Greenwich |
£ 1,152.52
|
13.88
|
|
Berkshire |
£ 1,128.44
|
14.18
|
|
Hertfordshire |
£ 1,115.80
|
14.34
|
|
Buckinghamshire CC |
£ 1,115.80
|
14.34
|
|
Croydon |
£ 1,112.94
|
14.38
|
|
North Hampshire |
£ 1,112.12
|
14.39
|
|
Barnet |
£ 1,102.74
|
14.51
|
|
Regions of the UK that would take the longest time to save up for an average UK wedding (based on one person earning the median salary and saving 5% of their take home pay)
|
||
|
Area of the UK |
5% of wage saved |
Years required to save £16,005 |
|
Leicester |
£858.35
|
18.64 |
|
Torbay |
£859.98
|
18.61 |
|
Isle of Wight |
£864.06
|
18.52 |
|
Blackburn with Darwen |
£864.06
|
18.52 |
|
Blackpool |
£868.55
|
18.42 |
|
Derry City and Strabane |
£871.40
|
18.36 |
|
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |
£875.08
|
18.28 |
|
Bradford |
£884.46
|
18.09 |
|
Nottingham |
£887.72
|
18.02 |
|
Causeway Coast and Glens |
£889.36
|
17.99 |
|
Newry, Mourne and Down |
£889.36
|
17.99 |
|
South West Wales |
£893.44
|
17.91 |
|
Kingston upon Hull, City of |
£893.84
|
17.90 |
|
North and West Norfolk |
£894.25
|
17.89 |
|
Fermanagh and Omagh |
£894.66
|
17.88 |
|
Powys |
£894.66
|
17.88 |
|
Conwy and Denbighshire |
£895.07
|
17.88 |
|
Stoke-on-Trent |
£896.29
|
17.85 |
|
South Teesside |
£897.92
|
17.82 |
|
East Cumbria |
£898.33
|
17.81 |
|
Areas of the UK (excluding London) that would take the shortest time to save up for an average UK wedding (based on one person earning the median salary and saving 5% of their take home pay) |
||
|
Area of the UK |
5% of wage saved |
Years required to save £16,005
|
|
East Surrey |
£ 1,176.59
|
13.60
|
|
West Surrey |
£ 1,165.16
|
13.73
|
|
Berkshire |
£ 1,128.44
|
14.18
|
|
Hertfordshire |
£ 1,115.80
|
14.34
|
|
Buckinghamshire CC |
£ 1,115.80
|
14.34
|
|
North Hampshire |
£ 1,112.12
|
14.39
|
|
Oxfordshire |
£ 1,101.52
|
14.53
|
|
Heart of Essex |
£ 1,094.17
|
14.62
|
|
West Kent |
£ 1,086.83
|
14.72
|
|
Central Bedfordshire |
£ 1,084.79
|
14.75
|
|
Cambridgeshire |
£ 1,082.34
|
14.78
|
|
Shetland Islands |
£ 1,071.73
|
14.93
|
|
West Essex |
£ 1,061.53
|
15.07
|
|
Thurrock |
£ 1,059.08
|
15.11
|
|
City of Edinburgh |
£ 1,052.96
|
15.20
|
|
West Sussex |
£ 1,049.70
|
15.24
|
|
East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire and Helensburgh and Lomond |
£ 1,047.25
|
15.28
|
|
Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire |
£ 1,045.62
|
15.30
|
|
Milton Keynes |
£ 1,043.99
|
15.33
|
|
Solihull |
£ 1,042.36
|
15.35
|
|
Areas of the UK that would take the most years to save up for an average UK wedding (based on two people each earning the median salary and saving 5% of their take home pay) |
||
|
Area of the UK |
5% of wage saved per person |
Years required to save £16,005
|
|
Leicester |
£1,716.70
|
9.32 |
|
Torbay |
£1,719.96
|
9.30 |
|
Isle of Wight |
£1,728.12
|
9.26 |
|
Blackburn with Darwen |
£1,728.12
|
9.26 |
|
Blackpool |
£1,737.10
|
9.21 |
|
Derry City and Strabane |
£1,742.81
|
9.18 |
|
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |
£1,750.15
|
9.14 |
|
Bradford |
£1,768.92
|
9.05 |
|
Nottingham |
£1,775.45
|
9.01 |
|
Causeway Coast and Glens |
£1,778.71 |
9.00 |
|
Newry, Mourne and Down |
£1,778.71
|
9.00 |
|
South West Wales |
£1,786.87
|
8.95 |
|
Kingston upon Hull, City of |
£1,787.69
|
8.95 |
|
North and West Norfolk |
£1,788.50
|
8.95 |
|
Fermanagh and Omagh |
£1,789.32
|
8.94 |
|
Powys |
£1,789.32
|
8.94 |
|
Conwy and Denbighshire |
£1,790.14
|
8.94 |
|
Stoke-on-Trent |
£1,792.58
|
8.93 |
|
South Teesside |
£1,795.85
|
8.91 |
|
East Cumbria |
£1,796.66 |
8.89 |
|
Areas of the UK that would take the shortest time to save up for an average UK wedding (based on two people each earning the median salary and saving 5% of their take home pay) |
||
|
Area of the UK |
5% of wage saved per person
|
Years required to save £16,005
|
|
Wandsworth |
£ 2,862.36
|
5.59 |
|
Westminster |
£ 2,837.88
|
5.64 |
|
Camden and City of London |
£ 2,779.94
|
5.76 |
|
Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham |
£ 2,714.66
|
5.89 |
|
Lambeth |
£ 2,540.04
|
6.30 |
|
Tower Hamlets |
£ 2,508.22
|
6.38 |
|
Bromley |
£ 2,504.95
|
6.39 |
|
Lewisham and Southwark |
£ 2,440.49
|
6.56 |
|
Haringey and Islington |
£ 2,411.93
|
6.63 |
|
Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton |
£ 2,396.42
|
6.68 |
|
East Surrey |
£ 2,353.18
|
6.80 |
|
Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames |
£ 2,334.41
|
6.85 |
|
West Surrey |
£ 2,330.33
|
6.87 |
|
Bexley and Greenwich |
£ 2,305.03
|
6.94 |
|
Berkshire |
£ 2,256.89
|
7.09 |
|
Hertfordshire |
£ 2,231.59
|
7.17 |
|
Buckinghamshire CC |
£ 2,231.59
|
7.17 |
|
Croydon |
£ 2,225.88
|
7.19 |
|
North Hampshire |
£ 2,224.25
|
7.19 |
|
Barnet |
£ 2,205.48 |
7.25 |
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
