More Britons seek the sun for their big day

The popularity of the overseas wedding has soared as couples bid to cut costs and guarantee sunshine.

Hopefully not Heartbreak Hotel for one couple tieing the knot with Elvis in Las Vegas. Picture: Getty

The number of Britons getting married abroad has jumped by a fifth over the past decade, according to research by LV= Travel Insurance. But while many wedding expenses are lower for the couples getting hitched, their guests end up forking out far more than for a domestic ceremony.

The cost of travel and accommodation is offset for couples by savings on aspects including the venue, catering, photography and the honeymoon. The average cost of tying the knot overseas is
 £10,000 less than a UK wedding, 
LV= estimated.

Some 3.7 million people have attended a wedding abroad in the past five years, but at a cost of nearly £7.3 billion. Guests pay nearly £2,000 each to go to overseas weddings, almost four times the amount they would spend if it was held in the UK. The US is the most popular destination, led by Las Vegas.