Couple Plan to Marry After Lottery Win

According to the BBC: A couple who have been engaged for 30 years can finally marry after a £1m lottery win.

Tony Pearce, 66, and Deb Gellatly, 58, from Southend, have never been able to afford the cost of a wedding.

The Lotto raffle prize means they can clear their debts and finally get married. They were close to selling their house to clear debts. 

ABC Comment:  We made the point earlier in the year that it is the well off-who are getting married not the poor. 

The total number of marriages in the UK in 2012 totalled 301,254. Of this, England and Wales contributed 262,240 (87%), Scotland 30,534 (10%), and Northern Ireland 8,480 (3%).

42% of marriages now end in divorce. The average current-account relationship lasts 17 years, while the average British marriage which ends in divorce lasts just 11 years and six months. Planning an engagement through to the honeymoon, a wedding celebration here in the UK collectively costs a little over £36,000, with over half of the bill falling towards the wedding guests.