money Getting engaged costs Brits over £3,000
Being engaged in the UK costs over £3,000 ($3,946), with pressure to look good on Instagram pushing Brits to go all out and spend more.
While an engagement would once have consisted solely of a proposal and a ring, social media pressures and lavish celebrity celebrations have upped the expectations of brides and grooms — while upping the cost too.
An engagement ring alone costs an average of £1,459, according to analysis by photography platform the Shoot.
What’s more, engagement photoshoots are becoming increasingly popular, with couples wanting high-quality shots to share on their Instagram accounts — coughing up an extra £125 per hour for a professional photographer, according to the study.
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In addition, the popularity of the photo-sharing app has given the events industry a boost. Many couples now choose to splurge on extravagant “picture-perfect” engagement celebrations, rather than have a low-key affair.
Between venue hire, and catering and alcohol for 50 guests, this adds about £1,521 to the cost of being engaged.
Overall, this comes to a total of £3,105 spent before couples even start planning their wedding.
“Our research has shown people are now spending more money than ever to make sure they have the perfect engagement and the photos to match,” said Fiona MacDougall, co-founder of the Shoot.
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"We have seen a definite increase in the number of bookings for surprise proposal photoshoots in London,” she added.
Some people literally “go the extra mile” to propose, the study found. Of the 10 most popular proposal spots in the world, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA is the most expensive, while Paris, France is the cheapest, the analysis found.
The average cost of a plane ticket to one of the 10 most popular engagement destinations comes to £1,256, taking the overall cost of the engagement to £4,361.
