Couples are shunning wedding lists in favour of cash in a general trend away from traditional financial arrangements, a survey found.

The annual poll for Wedding magazine found 45 per cent of couples would prefer their guests to give them money, while 29 per cent wanted gifts from a wedding list and 27 per cent opted for vouchers to pay for the honeymoon.

Fewer than half (43 per cent) were planning a church or religious ceremony, down 10 per cent from last year, while 40 per cent opted for a civil wedding at a licensed venue.

More than half (55 per cent) of the couples polled revealed they would be paying for their weddings themselves, with just 26 per cent of parents footing the bill.

Two thirds of couples (68 per cent) planned to spend up to £15,000 and 16 per cent budgeted for between £15,000 and £20,000. However the average actual spend was more than £20,000.

Nearly half of couples (40 per cent5) now split the workload of organising the big day, according to the survey.

Drinking too much appears to top the list of concerns for brides, with 70 per cent saying they planned to limit their alcohol intake in case it ruined their day, while 60 per cent also wanted their fiance to drink responsibly.

Bad weather worried 48 per cent of brides, followed by the chance of a family row (28 per cent) and not fully enjoying the day (28 per cent). Other concerns included how well different social groups would mix (20 per cent), the first dance (13 per cent) and fumbling their vows (12 per cent).

More than half of grooms (54 per cent) said they would go on a diet in preparation for the big day, 34 per cent planned to join a gym and one in five would have their teeth whitened.

The figures were similar for women, with half of the brides planning to have a fake tan.