"If you stick all the costs of your wedding on a credit card, you could find your big day is memorable for all the wrong reasons - because you end up paying for it for the rest of your life,” Donna Werbner, financial expert at Fool.co.uk, told Easier Finance.

A study conducted by Fool.co.uk produced data on 1,173 adults in the UK, indicated that 10 per cent of people in the UK will risk putting the entire cost of their big day on their credit card or would take out a loan to cover the often insurmountable costs of a wedding. The research – published in the recent Easier Finance report -- showed that three per cent of Brits would remortgage their home or apply to take out an additional loan to pull-off the wedding of their dreams.

The research published by Easier Finance suggests that a typical British wedding could add up to £4,968 in overall costs, and that 1.4 per cent of those surveyed would be willing to pay over £30,000 for a lavish do on their special day. A total of eight per cent of those surveyed would spend between £15,000 and £20,000 on the occasion, and a staggering 85% of those studied would use their savings to pay for their wedding

A gender stereotype appears to exist, too, in the area of who typically shells-out funds for a wedding. The research highlighted the fact that while 17 per cent of men studied claimed that they would pay for the entire occasion without assistance from their future wife, a mere five per cent of women indicated that they would finance their wedding day on their own. The report further suggested that over one third of people surveyed would ask family members to pitch-in for the lavish day, and that close to eight times as many couples would be looking to the father of the bride for financial aid, rather than the father of the groom.

“There's no doubt weddings are becoming more expensive,” the Easier Finance report states, “but people seem to lose all sense of proportion when it comes to budgeting.”

Suggestions from Donna Werbner include ensuring that one has the best savings rate and is using one’s full tax-free savings allowance when saving for a wedding. She further recommends reserving credit card space for larger purchases only -- including rings or reception hall payments -- as one is then protected by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This provision indicates that if products for the wedding do not arrive – or arrive in bad condition – customers can claim breach of contract against the retail provider.

Additional suggestions from Werbner published in the Easier Finance report include opting for a cash-back credit card, if one is able to pay-off the card monthly. This allows one to earn cash-back of up to five per cent. Alternatively, if the wedding is not to be paid-for immediately, Werbner recommends obtaining a credit card which charges zero per cent interest on new purchases or balance transfers

Final tips from Werbner include updating one’s home insurance policy to include personal possessions such as protection of wedding and engagement rings outside the home; and wedding insurance is strongly advised for those planning more elaborate celebrations.