The average cost of a wedding in the UK is now £27,000, according to new research.That figure is even higher in London, where the average wedding now costs a hefty £38,666. The Independent reports that the averages were calculated by wedding planning website Bridebook , which looked at 20,000 ceremonies which took place last year.The largest outlay for couples planning their big day tends to be venue hire, which now costs an average of £5,727. Food and drink is the second biggest spend, followed by a bride's wedding dress, which costs an average of £1,268.According to The Independent , Bridebook also found that 62% of couples tying the knot pay at least half of their wedding bill, but only 22% pay for their big day in full. Some 29% of couples revealed that they had no defined budget for their big day.Six-figure weddings are most common in the south east of England, where 4% of weddings cost over £100,000.Refinery29 has recently asked two brides to spill the beans — anonymously, of course — on every wedding-related expense, from the dress to the table vases. Find out how one bride spent the UK average of £27,000 here , and how another bride spent more than double that figure here