Forget pressies, show us the money!

A new survey has shown that an increasing number of couples are shunning wedding lists in favour of cash.

The poll for Wedding magazine found 45 per cent of couples would prefer their guests to give them money, while 29 per cent wanted gifts from a wedding list and 26 per cent opted for vouchers to pay for the honeymoon.

More than half (55 per cent) of the couples said they would pay for their weddings themselves, with just 26 per cent of parents footing the bill. The average spend was more than £20,000.

The celebrity couple whose relationship they most aspired to was Jamie and Louise Redknapp.

Andrew Woolley, managing partner with Woolley & Co family law specialists, believes the change is simply a sign of the times, with most couples setting up home before they get married so they already have many of the things traditionally bought as wedding presents.

“Toasters, crockery, cutlery and the like may have traditionally been bought but most couples these days already have that sort of thing, so money is an understandable option – though I can’t see the Redknapps asking for either money or a toaster!,” he said.

“However, it again brings to the fore the importance of couples understanding the legal implications of marriage, like having certain responsibilities regarding joint finances, and how important it is to make provision straight away in case anything goes wrong.”

Need family law advice?

Call Woolley & Co on 0800 3213832 or book a free initial telephone appointment with one of our lawyers.