Celeb wedding craze could prove costly

The ever-growing interest in celebrity couples and their nuptial arrangements is leading to brides in the UK wanting increasingly glamorous and potentially costly weddings.

According to a survey by ceremony planner TK Weddings, many women planning to get married may have become more interested in impressing their guests with style than the actual substance of their big day.

So-called "competitive wedding syndrome" whereby brides try and outdo each other by making their ceremony as extravagant as possible, can cost up to £60 a minute, the study claims.

Among the examples of this trend are the 25-stone wedding dress worn by Carly O'Brien of Gloucester, which was the heaviest ever gown for a few weeks, before it lost its crown to the dress worn by Josephine Doherty from Surrey, website Lifestyle Extra reports.

Tamryn Kirby, managing director of TK Weddings, commented: "It's easy to get carried away when organising a wedding.

"So many couples think that the only way to get a dream wedding is to buy it and that's not the case. A wedding where the couple have put thought, rather than cash, into everything is so much more impressive to guests."