Online voucher code website My Voucher Codes recently conducted a survey that found that 44% of couples are not planning to have a ‘white wedding’ and only 20% are interested in having the traditional wedding. A traditional white wedding usually includes a formal or church ceremony, a sit-down meal with three courses, music, decorations and cake. It also includes a full wedding party including bridesmaids, groomsmen, a ring bearer and flower girls.

The survey also found that only one in three people in Wales and England have religious ceremonies, and since only 1 in 4 want a traditional wedding, it’s likely that we’ll eventually see these types of big white weddings gradually being replaced with more personalised ceremonies.

30% of couples said that they would choose to get married in a hotel, while just a tiny 9% would go for a church wedding.

500 engaged couples were surveyed in the UK, and while the results were dismal for the traditional wedding, 36% said that they would still like to include some aspects of a traditional wedding, just not all of them.

The survey then asked respondents why they didn’t want a white wedding, or why they would only choose some aspects of the traditional service. 57% said it was down to cost, 46% said it was too stressful, 37% said the hassle of arranging it was too overwhelming, 26% said they didn’t have big families, 18% said they either had family issues or didn’t get on with their family, and 12% said they were unhappy with the idea of being the centre of attention.

It’s no surprise that cost was a huge factor for why most people choose not to have a white wedding. The average cost of a traditional wedding in the UK is around £20,500, although many people are trying to cut down on these costs by following popular wedding blogs and keeping up to date with trends on websites like Polyvore and Pinterest.

The survey also asked respondents where they would like to have their ceremony. 9% said they liked the idea of a church ceremony, 28% said they preferred the registry office, 30% want to get married in a hotel, 21% are planning a country house, 5% would go for a venue that is temporarily licensed, and 7% would love to get married overseas.

Chris Reilly is the general manager of My Voucher Codes, and he said that many people are moving away from traditional weddings. While it was once a given that couples would get married with a church service and then enjoy a wedding breakfast with their friends and family, this is no longer the case since the bride and groom now typically live together before they get married.

He also said that as the size and cost of the celebration has increased, “it seems that people are beginning to find that the stress and cost of organising a big traditional wedding is too much.”