Experts released statistics in early March which suggest that the average price of a wedding in modern day Britain costs anywhere between £18k and £32k.
That said, have you ever considered how much you would have to fork out to recreate a special soap-style bonanza for your big day.
Redworth Hall have scoured the history of British soap weddings to find out the true cost of recreating a similarly dramatic and magical experience…
From the village of Hollyoaks in the suburbs of Chester, to the borough of East London, Walford, we take you on a journey around England in a bid to find the true cost of reinventing soap-style nuptials.
Our calculations have excluded the added extras that aren’t seen directly on screen. Therefore, the concluding costs will not feature the likes of engagement rings or honeymoons.
Ken and Deirdre – Coronation Street
Many associate the wedding of the year, or even the decade, back in 1981 going to Charles and Diana. The royal wedding between the heir to the throne and Diana, who went on to assume the name of ‘the People’s Princess’, was one of the world’s biggest talking points.
A few days earlier, however, Alf Roberts walked Deirdre down the aisle as she tied the knot with a certain Mr Ken Barlow. Impressively, the TV wedding attracted a whopping 24 million viewers, which turned out to be more than that of the royal ceremony. The question is, at what cost did the joyous occasion come?
24 guests —
£120 invitations
£700 church
£150 white limousine
£1,550 dress
£800 photographer
£250 flowers
£75 (one-tier cake)
£264 catering
£299 suit
£2,500 bar and function room
Total £6,708
Ricky and Bianca — EastEnders
After what can only be described as a rocky beginning to their relationship, Ricky finally made an honest woman of Bianca in April 1997.
22 million viewers tuned in to watch the childhood sweethearts say, ‘I do’, even following an affair on Ricky’s behalf and Bianca almost getting intimate with her estranged father.
However, how much did the luxurious white wedding in the fictional town of Walford, East London, set the newlyweds back?
80 guests —
£400 invitations
£700 church
£280 car
£1,200 photographer
£600 flowers
£2,800 dress
£160 suit
£6,050 total
Ryan and Amy – Hollyoaks
Back in March 2017, Amy Barnes, after years of searching, finally found her Prince Charming and married him.
Ryan, known more commonly as Duncan James from Blue, was certainly not Amy’s first love conquest on the show. Her and her ex-partner Ste, who she had two children with, at the time of the wedding were in and out of the courts over a custody battle.
Fortunately, for the loved-up couple, Ste managed to put his differences aside and Amy prepared for the biggest day of her life. The happy ever after that we all hoped for was incredibly short lived, however, as Ryan went on to find Amy dead in their flat soon after.
The total expenditure of the Chester-based extravaganza was as follows:
50 guests —
£250 invitations
£700 church
£700 photographer
£800 videographer
£350 flowers
£4,000 for venue rental after reception
£500 food (average wedding catering cost per person was £10)
£200 cake (three-tier)
£800 dress
£30 ring girl’s dress (Bride’s daughter)
£50 boy’s suit (Bride’s son)
£150 groom’s suit
£15 smashed glasses
Total £8,545
Robert and Aaron – Emmerdale
The final soiree in our roundup of soap-style wedding bonanzas see us arrive in the Yorkshire village of Emmerdale.
Despite the Dingle family being still very much in mourning following the loss of baby Grace, the Brad and Angelina-inspired Robron (Robert and Aaron) went ahead.
Both the Emmerdale bad boys had their pasts littered with explosive relationships, quite literally, but this looked set to be a chance for both to find true happiness.
It should come as no surprise that the guests of the Sugden-Livesy where treated to a rather lavish affair but, the question is, how much did it cost?
35 guests
£175 invitations
£550 registrar
£3000 outdoor venue
£700 band
£250 DJ
£2,500 bar and function room
£275 Cake (two-tier)
£250 flowers
£400 suits
Total £8,100
So, there you have it, the scores on the doors of how much it would cost you to recreate that oh-so-memorable soap-style wedding. All you have to do now is find a person to marry!