A new study commissioned by Kaleidoscope found the average Briton spends £440 every time they attend a wedding, meaning each celebration costs a week's salary.

The typical person attends five weddings a year, meaning it is an expensive business to be in, with more than £2,000 coughed up by the average guest every 12 months.

Helen North, head of marketing at Kaleidoscope, told the Daily Mail: "We all know that weddings are a billion pound industry in the UK, and that they can be a very costly affair for the bride and groom. But what about the guests?"

British women named their outfit as the most important purchase, with 70 per cent opting to spend more on their dress than on their accommodation, a gift or alcohol.

Colour and Style

It’s important to recognise that wedding rings come in many different colours and styles, so you will need to have a think about your preferences before you jump in and purchase the first ring you come across. Do you prefer white or yellow gold? Or maybe you’ve been secretly longing for a platinum ring? There are various styles of wedding ring to choose from, including modern, classic, Celtic and art Deco. You may already have an idea of what kind of ring you’re after but it still makes sense to keep your options open and look at a number of different rings before splashing the cash. Remember, you’ll (hopefully!) be wearing this ring for the rest of your life, so it’s important to choose a ring that you’re truly in love with.

Buy from a Reputable Dealer

When shopping for your perfect wedding ring, you should only buy from a reputable and trustworthy dealer. A trustworthy dealer will help you with your decision without encouraging you to go over your budget. They’ll also explain to you about diamond quality, settings and a whole lot more. They should advise you to get a quote on ring insurance and will advise you on the best deals. Try to choose a dealer who’s been in the game for a long time, as they will be best placed to provide you will the information that you require. Buying a wedding ring is a big financial commitment so choose carefully to ensure you select a ring that’s perfect for you.

With wedding cover from My-Wedding Insurance, couples can enjoy peace of mind in planning their big day. After all, weddings are expensive and take a long time to plan – meaning all the more risk of unforeseen events to crop up. Most couples soon find the costs mounting up, often beyond what was originally expected. Weddings tend to total at the very least a few thousand pounds, but if you want help putting things in perspective, have a look at the Top 5 Most Expensive Weddings, Ever!

Number 5: Wayne Rooney & Coleen McLoughlin – $5 million

Star striker for Manchester United Wayne Rooney married his long-time sweetheart Coleen McLoughlin 5 years ago, in Portofino, Italy. The wedding lasted four days, with the couple and 64 guests partying on a luxury yacht. Designed by Georgia Chapman, Coleen’s dress cost a whopping $4 million. In contrast, their civil ceremony was a basic affair with a pizza meal at the reception.

Number 4: Vikram Chatwal and Priya Sachdev – $20 million

In 2006, millionaire hotelier from the Big Apple Vikram Chatwal wed model and actress Priya Sachdev. The wedding costs totalled an enormous $20 million! The 10 day party, which hosted 600 guests from a host of different international locations, was set in three different Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai and Udaipur. Naomi Campbell, rapper P Diddy and even the Clintons put in an appearance.

Number 3: Aleksandra Kokotovic and Andrei Melnichenko – $30 million

Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko and one-time Miss Yugoslavia Aleksandra Kokotovich married 8 years ago at an unbelievable $30 million wedding. The ceremony, which took place in France, featured performances from Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera.

Number 2: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Salama – $44.5 million

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum wed Princess Salama in 1981. The wedding was host to a staggering 20,000 guests over 7 days, with a total spend of $44.5 million!

Number 1: Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia – $78 million

When the daughter of the billionaire Laxmi Mittal and Amit Bhatia, a successful investment banker, got married, it was the world’s priciest wedding – ever. Marrying in France in 2004 in an event that spanned 5 days and was host to 1000 guests, the couple stayed hired a chateau, while guests enjoyed the best hotels. Guests were also given silver-cased invitations and jewel-filled designer gift bags. Kylie Minogue was even there to entertain!

When shopping for your wedding rings with your partner, you will probably have an idea of how much you want to spend. Chances are your budget will be a little below that of many of the major celebrities popping the question to their beloveds, but you’re still likely to spend a pretty penny on that dream ring! This means that buying ring insurance from My-Wedding Insurance will be a top priority. Let’s take a look at 5 of the most expensive wedding rings worn by celebrities…

Kim Kardashian

Kris Humphries popped the question to Kim Kardashian with a ring worth $2 million. Made up of 20.5-carat diamonds, Kim sports one of the world’s most expensive wedding rings. Unfortunately their marriage didn’t last long as they split after just 72 days of marriage.

Beyoncé Knowles

Rapper Jay-Z presented long-term love Beyoncé with a stunning 20 carat ring with an 18 carat diamond at its centre. Designed by Lorraine Schwartz, the ring cost a staggering $5 million.

Kate Middleton

Our very own Kate Middleton was the envy of thousands of women when she received a stunning 18-carat sapphire ring from Prince William when they married. This was the ring that Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana back in 1981, costing £30,000 at the time of purchase.

Paris Hilton

Paris’s Greek boyfriend Paris Latsis presented her with a 24-carat diamond ring worth $4.7 million when he popped the question. Sadly, their marriage wasn’t meant to be and they separated within 5 months of their engagement.

Hilary Duff

Former Disney actress Hilary Duff sports a 14-carat princess-cut ring which she received from her hockey star fiancé when he popped the big question. He reported spend million on the pretty jewel.

Although your own ring isn’t likely to cost quite as much as the rings sported by these wealthy celebrities, it will still be a massive financial commitment and it makes sense to invest in ring insurance to cover you should your wedding ring be lost or damaged.

New statistics from Nationwide Building Society showed 29 per cent of couples rely on the bride's mum and dad to fund their big day.

Some 27 per cent of people have even thought about not getting married at all due to the cost of the celebration.

Graham Pilkington, divisional director of banking insurance and investment at Nationwide, said: "Relying on the bride's parents to pay for your wedding is not possible for everyone, nor is it always practical to raid the piggybank, especially when we are talking about thousands of pounds."

There are a variety of costs that put people off the idea of getting married, with 29 per cent admitting to being worried about holidays and travel, 14 per cent said they will delay starting a family and 12 per cent will have to put back a house purchase.

My-Wedding Insurance provides protection should the unexpected happen, giving peace of mind and great benefits. You can chose from a selection of Set Package policies or get a cheap wedding insurance quote by selecting the benefits required and tailor-make your own wedding insurance policy. What’s more, when users apply online they will receive a 30% online discount! They will even find the my-weddinginsurance.co.uk products on wedding insurance comparison sites!

The wedding insurance benefits include cover for the following:

• Cancellation and Expenses

• Supplier Deposits

• Wedding Cars & Transport

• Wedding Attire

• Photographs & Video/DVD

• Presents

• Rings, Cakes, Stationery & Flowers

• Personal Accident

• Public Liability

• Legal Expenses

• Venue Decoration

Royal Wedding Anniversary – A second year!

The moment Catherine Middleton stepped on the red carpet outside Westminster Abbey for her fairytale wedding to Prince William, a whole nation found a place in their hearts for her as with her elegance she looked every inch of a royal!

The media has been closely following the royal couple on their various visits and the news of the Duchess expecting was very welcome by everyone.

The couple will be celebrating their second wedding anniversary on 29^th April 2013 and with the Duchess expecting their first child, the speculation is now on the possible baby names.

End.

Contact:

Name: Dora Kolacsek

Telephone: 01423 333419

Email address: dkolacsek@eandl.co.uk

Notes for Editors:

1. The company logo is available upon request

My-weddinginsurance.co.uk is underwritten by Equine & Livestock Insurance Co. Ltd. (registered in England and Wales no. 2949400) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority no. 202748. Registered address: Thorpe Underwood Hall, York

It is believed the couple will tie the knot next week in their home city of Miami, and a lavish ceremony and celebration seem to be on the cards.

While Kournikova is thought to have been keen to marry Iglesias for some time, he has been less keen to commit, but has now changed his mind.

A source told the Sun: "They wouldn't have done it in secret as they want it to be lavish. This is going to be a huge wedding in front of their celeb pals."

Invites have already been sent to a host of A-list stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria, Nicole Scherzinger, Lewis Hamilton and David and Victoria Beckham.

Kournikova has been wearing a £3 million engagement ring for several years, but it seems she will finally get her hands on a wedding band too.

Jeff Burford and Laura Weston are keen Cheltenham Town fans, but he told her he could not attend Saturday's (April 27th) fixture with Bradford City.

Mr Burford then hid in the stands away from his partner, before appearing on the pitch at half-time to pop the question, reports the Gloucestershire Echo.

"Jeff appeared out of the tunnel and I just burst into tears. I was so surprised, I don't think I even said 'yes' until we walked back into the stand," Ms Weston explained.

Mr Burford admitted he had been extremely nervous, particularly during the first-half, when his eye was constantly on the clock.

The pair are now intending to hold their wedding reception at the football club's Whaddon Road stadium, following a ceremony at a local church.

Police believe the vehicle could have been struck by a horse box lorry, leading to it toppling over and landing in a field, reports UTV.

Of those involved in the collision, 14 were taken to hospital with minor injuries, although they have now all been released.

A police statement read: "It's believed a double decker bus carrying wedding guests may have been struck by a lorry, possibly a horse box lorry, causing it to overturn shortly after 16:00 BST."

The emergency services were immediately called to the scene on the Ballynahinch Road in Lisburn on Saturday (April 20th), with 11 ambulances required.

Such an incident is a reminder of how unforeseen circumstances can end up having a huge impact on a wedding, potentially leading to a couple's big day not going to plan.

Wedding Insurance may not be at the top of your to do list, but there are many reasons why it should be! Your wedding day should be one of the happiest days of your life. Months, even years of planning should mean that you can enjoy that one special day, the wedding of your dreams, so why leave anything to chance?

On average, weddings now cost over £20,000 – a substantial amount of money to lose should your big day have to be re-arranged or cancelled, that’s why protecting yourself financially in the run up to your wedding is worthwhile. Although you try your best to ensure that things run smoothly, it’s often the case that certain elements of the wedding are out of your control.

My-Wedding Insurance provides protection should the unexpected happen, giving you peace of mind and great benefits. You can chose from a selection of Set Package policies or get a cheap wedding insurance quote by selecting the benefits you require and tailor-make your own wedding insurance policy. What’s more, when you apply online you will receive a 30% online discount!

The wedding insurance benefits include cover for the following:

• Cancellation and Expenses
• Supplier Deposits
• Wedding Cars & Transport
• Wedding Attire
• Photographs & Video/DVD
• Presents
• Rings, Cakes, Stationery & Flowers
• Personal Accident
• Public Liability
• Legal Expenses
• Venue Decoration

Professor Green to marry Millie Mackintosh…

Professor Green (born Stephen Paul Manderson) has recently popped the question to Made in Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh. The proposal was a success as Millie said yes. Professor Green is an English singer-songwriter born in Hackney, East London. Millie was born in Chelsea and is a distant heir to Quality Street. Stephen first saw Millie on the cover of FHM magazine and his publicist got her number from FHM, with Millie’s permission of course.

Considering the pairs celebrity status, the wedding is bound to be an extravagant, no expense spared event.

End.

Contact:

Name: Lee Shipley
Telephone: 01423 333432
Email address: lshipley@eandl.co.uk

Notes for Editors:

1. The company logo is available upon request

The Equine and Livestock Insurance Co. Ltd (E&L®) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (reg. no. 202748). Registered address: Thorpe Underwood Hall, York