经济衰退引发冬日婚潮
Brides are increasingly shunning summer weddings and getting married during winter instead to cut costs amid the economic gloom, figures suggest.
Register office data shows that thousands more people are tying the knot between October and March than in previous years, to save money on hosting receptions.
Companies offering wedding services are also reporting booming business as couples take advantage of prices thousands of pounds cheaper than during the peak summer months.
The number of couples getting married in winter has risen by up to 15 percent in some areas, with winter weddings now accounting for more than 30 percent of all marriages in Britain.
The trend is even said to be having an impact on wedding attire, with more designers offering coats, shawls and different coloured dresses from the traditional white and ivory gowns bought by most brides.
Belinda Hanks, editor of Confetti, the online bridal store and magazine, said: “One of the main factors behind this has been pressure on budgets.
“With the economy the way it is, couples are realising that if they go for a winter wedding they can get a much better deal.”
“You can shave down your budget by around a quarter if you marry in winter through savings on venue hire and catering – you’re talking about thousands of pounds.
“This has been a growing trend over the last couple of years.”
The site has seen a 25 percent rise in the number of brides preparing for winter weddings.
According to the most up to date marriage data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of marriages in the winter months has increased by around seven percent in two years.
In 2006 there were 25,880 marriages in the March quarter and 41,150 in the December quarter. This rose to 27,610 and 44,015 respectively for the same three-month periods in 2008.
More recent figures from local authorities suggests that the trend has continued to accelerate with thousands more weddings scheduled for the next three months.
数据显示，越来越多的新娘避开夏天而选择在冬天举行婚礼，目的是在当前经济不景气的状况下减少开支。
户籍登记处的数据显示，为了节省婚宴的开支，十月到三月间结婚的新人今年比去年多了几千对。
婚庆公司也报告说，由于冬天婚礼花费比夏天高峰期要少数千英镑，许多新人选择在冬天结婚，这使得冬天婚庆业的生意红火了起来。
在冬天结婚的新人数量在部分地区增加了15%，现在英国冬日婚礼比例占全部婚礼的30%以上。
据称这一潮流甚至对婚礼服装也产生了影响，更多设计师提供婚礼用的外套、披巾以及有别于传统婚纱颜色的各种颜色的婚纱。大多数新娘购买的都是传统的白色和象牙色婚纱。
网上新娘用品店和杂志“五彩纸屑”的编辑柏琳达•汉克斯说：“冬日婚庆火爆的一大因素是来自预算的压力。”
“在经济形势依然不妙的情况下，情侣们意识到如果他们选择在冬天结婚，会划算得多。
“如果你在冬天结婚，在场地租用和办酒席方面就能缩减约四分之一的预算——可以省下几千英镑呢。
“近几年越来越多的人选择在冬季结婚。”
该网站发现，准备在冬天举行婚礼的新娘人数增加了25%。
根据英国国家统计局最近更新的关于结婚的数据，冬季的婚姻登记数量在两年内上升了约7%。
2006年在一月到三月这个季度结婚的共有25880对，在十到十二月这个季度结婚的有41150对。2008年一季度和四季度结婚的夫妇则分别上升至27610对和44015对。
来自地方相关部门的最新数据显示，冬日结婚的趋势将继续上升，在未来三个月还将举行数千场婚礼。