Parents of couples getting married are more likely to pay towards the cost of weddings rather than leaving the father of the bride to foot the entire bill, latest research shows.

The most common arrangement is for parents of the bride and groom to share the cost of their children's big day, a study of 1,000 recently-married couples found.

The study, by savings bank ING Direct, also discovered an increase in the number of parents paying for everything, up by half since 2006.

The report said the increase was due to increased financial pressure on younger people amid soaring education and housing costs.

Studies have suggested that the average cost of a wedding is over £20,000, with one in three going over-budget by anything up to £3,000.

The average cost of a wedding present is now £93, although almost half of couples are just as likely to ask for cash instead, said the report.

One in five couples do not ask for any wedding presents, with 3% suggesting charity donations.

Richard Doe, chief executive of ING Direct, said: "This report may signal good news for the bride's parents as they're no longer solely responsible for footing the bill, but they are far from off the hook.

"More and more young people are now turning to the bank of mum and dad to help fund their weddings, driven by the heightened financial pressures they face."

Couples in the North East and West Midlands were more likely to rely on the bride's parents than split the bill, with those in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber most prepared to see the cost split.

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