It seems that love is in the air in my family – starting this weekend, and following over the coming six or so months, five of my cousins are getting married, and another one is still to set a date… (JD if you’re reading this I consider you to be my cousin…just for the record x)

It got me thinking about the impact on the economy that weddings have.

There’s invitations, venue hire, catering including ‘the cake’, dresses and suits , car hire, celebrant fees and flowers just to start.

As a guest I usually buy a new outfit and of course a present, and for some of these weddings there’ll be air travel, car hire, accommodation and all the other costs you incur while being away from home.

All of these things contribute to the GDP (gross domestic product) of our economy and there are many businesses, both large and small, who make their living solely on the back bone of weddings!

I don’t have any figures on the amount spent on weddings each year, I was too scared to look, but a quick look through the social pages of the newspaper and online will give you an idea of how many weddings are held every weekend and I’m sure you know from your own experience of either getting married or being a guest just how much money passes through the chain at the mention of a wedding.

So, best wishes to the upcoming brides and congratulations to their grooms – and to all the guests, have fun!

Regards