Couples warned against celebrity wedding hype

MEDIA frenzy surrounding extravagant celebrity weddings is putting pressure on Irish couples to compete, and can lead to debt.

Couples dream of the perfect wedding. But an extravagant wedding can cause considerable stress.

“People do feel they have to outdo each other,” wedding coordinator, Ms Joanne O’Shea of Dream Events says.

The average Irish wedding now costs around €25,000.

A poll on the popular Irish website, WeddingsOnline, suggests that around 33% of people are using a loan or SSIA to finance their wedding.

About 16% report getting help from their parents, and 50% say they are saving for their big day.

Weddings are very commercial, says the spokesperson. “Everything you do for your wedding is about money.

“Girls are spending €400 on shoes,” she says.

However, more and more people are getting married abroad to cut costs, she tells.

This weekend over 250 A-list celebrities will attend Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ extravagant Italian wedding.

Holmes is rumoured to have spent $3,000 on wedding lingerie alone.

Ms O’Shea advises couples to take their time planning their wedding, and stay within their budget.

Couples should take 18-months to plan their wedding to avoid stress and budgetary problems, she advises.

“People don’t realise how much a wedding costs. Couples need to have some savings,” she says.

It can be a particularly costly time for a couple who may be buying a house and getting married within two or three years, she adds.

Ms O’Shea says she has seen a lot of very stressed-out brides and grooms. She advises couples to relax and not panic about their wedding.

You do not need to go all out and get a wedding planner. To plan the perfect wedding couples should ask advice of friends and family, and just try to enjoy their big day, she says.

One-in-ten couples in Britain admits to taking a part-time job to pay for their wedding.

The same survey saw just 26% of brides hoping guests would remember how in love they were. Over half wanted to be remembered for how original their wedding was.

After the wedding, some UK brides are reportedly left suffering from depression. The stress can also cause tension among couples, according to TK Weddings.