London - Thousands of couples are getting married on a Thursday because it can be significantly cheaper than a weekend wedding.
Tying the knot mid-week can cut thousands of pounds off the cost of venues, catering and entertainers.
And friends and family travelling long distances to attend the celebrations can often get cheaper deals on hotels, train tickets and flights.
Saturday has long been the traditional day for a wedding, in large part because it is more convenient for guests.
But at a time when they are struggling with debts and rising house prices, around 21 700 couples chose to marry on a Thursday instead last year - about 6 000 more than in 2008 - according to research by wedding website hitched.co.uk. This was a rise of around a third.
And data from John Lewis shows a 43 percent rise in the number of couples taking out insurance policies for weddings on a Thursday compared with five years ago.
Caroline Hendry, the editor of hitched.co.uk, said Thursdays are popular as many venues charge the same high prices on a Friday as they do on the weekend. She added: “With many venues and wedding suppliers booking up months or even years in advance, a Thursday wedding can also give couples a better chance of booking their first choice vendors.”
Many venues and suppliers also offer couples big savings if they book outside the peak wedding months of June to October.
All in all, a wet Thursday in January, February or March seems to the best option for a British wedding - in terms of the price if not the weather.
John Lewis Insurance reached its findings by comparing data on weddings that took place in 2013 to those scheduled for 2017.
Daily Mail