Bride To Be's reader survey reveals the cost of the average Australian wedding.

Now a five billion dollar industry, Aussie weddings are worth more than our local beer market! Two couples (see related articles, below) share their big day budgets with Candice Gregor as we reveal the findings of B2B's lastest Cost of Love survey.

The Survey

Bride to Be's 2006 Cost of Love Survey is the fifth since it began in 1997. A healthy sample of 900 respondents (most half-way through their wedding planning) completed the in-depth questionnaire, answering budgeting questions on everything from dollars spent on bomboniere to the cost of the boys' rowdy weekend away. What did we find? The average cost of weddings has increased four per cent since 2004.

Today's Bride And Groom

The survey found that the couples are getting married older than they were in years past. The average age of a bride is now 29 and the average groom is 32. Twenty years ago, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average bride walked down the aisle at 24 to meet her 27-year-old groom.

What does it cost?

Drum roll please... The average Australian wedding, including pre-wedding events such as the hen's and buck's nights and post-wedding expenses like honeymoons, comes to a grand total of $39,114. New South Wales is the most expensive state to get married in, and Sydney the most exxy city. An average Sydney wedding tips the scales at $54,173, while Adelaide is the most economical city, with couples spending an average of $31,185. Sydney 'receptions' (food, beverage and venue hire only) cost significantly more than the national average of $7,614, coming in at $11,320, while those in Brisbane are much cheaper, averaging $5,459.

Who Pays?

As couples marrying older, they are more likely to be financially secure and as a result are paying for 75 per cent of the wedding costs themselves. Parents contribute to the rest of costs, mainly the reception. While 87 per cent of couples pay for the wedding out of their savings, 26 per cent will put some of the costs on the plastic fantastic and 10 per cent take out a loan.

A Wedding Planner's Budgeting Tips - By Kathy Apostolidis of Events by Nightingales www.theweddingplanner.com.au

Bomboniere - Choose a small rectangular vase, fill it with flowers then tie ribbon and a name tag to it. This will save you a huge amount as it will work as a floral table decoration, placecard and bomboniere all in one.

Transport - Use wedding cars effectively by having one or two cars to do double trips so you're halving the number of cars used to transport everyone

Photography - Ask your photographer to cover the wedding up until the beginning of the reception. Then, place disposable cameras on tables for guests so they can take fun shots of the night for you.

Flowers - When decorating with flowers, use flower petals with a lot of tealights as centrepieces, rather than big floral arrangements. The fragrance is beautiful as well.