Forget big weddings: now couples party at the pub

BEFORE Covid struck, couples planning their wedding day were happy to splash out thousands on lavish receptions in country house hotels or giant marquees.

These days, however, many are opting for something far more down-to-earth… their local pub.

Wedding planners say they have been put off more upmarket venues by complex contracts that seek to insure against new virus outbreaks. Pubs, by contrast, are more laid back about the situation.

According to research, 1.8 million of us are planning to host a wedding knees-up at a pub.

The survey of 2,000 adults by hospitality jobs site caterer.com found 3.3million are currently planning a wedding, many of whom saw plans stalled by the pandemic. Grace Wilson and Thom Pickering recently booked their wedding party in a pub in South London. ‘The pandemic has made us re-evaluate what we want from our wedding,’ said Ms Wilson.

‘We want it to be as relaxed as possible. Asking friends and family to travel to a country club just doesn’t feel right. Our local pub is the obvious choice. We’ve also not been locked into costly and complicated contracts, which is a plus.’ The research found 25 per cent of people are due to attend up to three weddings this year. The study also showed a surge in wedding roles advertised in the first three months of 2022, compared to the same period last year.

The hospitality industry is expecting a busy summer. The Cash Cows, a band who play many wedding parties, are having their busiest year in more than a decade of performing. Singer Robbie Humphries said: ‘People have been scaling back on some of the flashier events. Pub wedding bookings have gone through the roof, and with a diary full of postponed weddings, it’s hard to fit new ones in.’

Tessa Stewart, weddings events manager at The Bell pub in Ticehurst, East Sussex said: ‘We are seeing a lot of demand for more relaxed weddings, but people are certainly not compromising on style.

‘We have more than 80 weddings booked so far for this year and after lockdowns, people definitely want an absolute focus on family and friends.’

The pub wedding surge is likely to exacerbate the recruitment crisis in the hospitality industry, where there are record numbers of vacancies.

Couples are expected to spend on average £18,000 on the hospitality elements of their wedding day, including the venue and food, rising to £28,000 in London.