Couples would prefer to have a house deposit than a big wedding

Young couple Caitlin Belshaw and Shaun Kerr are set to elope later this year, in December.

Miss Belshaw said the driving force behind that decision was predominantly cost.

"The cost of the big wedding was huge and we weren't okay on spending that much on like one day," she said.

"In December it is 10 years of us being together, so we thought we might as well celebrate it with our family and friends in a more intimate way."

A micro-wedding is a small, intimate ceremony that features between five to 50 guests, while an elopement is a marriage that is done quickly and traditionally in secret; however this has changed in the last few years.

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According to data from Canstar, the average wedding in NSW can cost anywhere between $37,108 to $41,245.

The young lovebirds' ceremony will be held at the Tamworth Botanic Gardens and the after-party will be hosted by Mr Kerr's grandmother.

Miss Belshaw said the only money spent has been on her dress, which cost $700 and they have treated themselves to some nice rings - but nothing else.

Weddings Tamworth celebrant Rianna Winter said social media has also contributed to the trend, with many brides-to-be inspired by the hashtag mircowedding on TikTok, which has amassed over 200 million views and elopement, which has more than 600 million views.

"Photography in the old days you got married have a pro-photographer put your photos into an album and keep it at home. You may bring it out once or twice a year," she said.

"Whereas now, the couples getting married have these amazing photos and are plastering them all over Insta and their Facebook. So they still get to show off their small, intimate wedding and not having to pay for everyone to be there."

When Mrs Winter first became a celebrant, she completed more than 50 weddings in a year, however she has since cut back to focus more on her family - and is now doing 30 weddings a year.

Her clientele can range in age, but typically they are young couples between of 25 and 30 years old.

Mrs Winter said cost of living pressure is too much for young couples wanting to get married.

"Inflation is crazy, the cost of living is so high and a lot of people would prefer to have a house deposit. People are thinking it is absurd to spent this much money on one day," she said.

But, despite the trend, Mrs Winters said big weddings are not going anywhere, anytime soon.

"There is still a large part of the population who love a big wedding and couples who have parents who can come in and support financially. I still see a lot of young couples come to me wanting big weddings, and the heart still desires that," she said.

If you are looking for some inspiration for your upcoming nuptials be sure to pop down to the Tamworth Wedding Expo from 10am this Sunday, August 27, at Tangaratta Vineyards.

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