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Bikini brides flock abroad

By Suzannah Ramsdale on Friday 28 November 2008

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Marie Claire news: beach weddings

The traditional wedding is being ditched in favour of exotic beach weddings as one in six couples chose to wed abroad.

Due to sky-rocketing prices and temperamental weather tens of thousands of bride and grooms are choosing to take their vows in the sun, a new report claims.

In the past five years the market for 'bikini weddings' has expanded by 43%, and it's expected to grow further as we head into a recession.

'Getting married abroad has become an increasingly popular choice for couples looking to tie the knot,' says Tom Rees, a senior analyst at Mintel, who carried out the research.

'As the credit crunch bites and recession looms, this could be the perfect cost-saving measure allowing couples to have the wedding day they have always dreamed of.'

Cyprus was found to be the most popular wedding destination, with the Caribbean being the wedding back-drop for those of us with a little more cash to spend.

Couples also appear to be getting increasingly adventurous by choosing unusual locations such as Austria, Lapland and Iceland.

Having said all this, it seems the nation has lost that loving feeling, as official figures show that the number of marriages is lower than it has been for more than a century, as more of us co-habit or have just simply given up on love.