So says a survey of 1,781 people who plan to tie the knot over the next two years.

Average expenditure on nuptials has only dropped 3.3 percent to HK$226,352, from the HK$234,176 spent in 2008, according to the online Wedding Spending Survey 2009 by lifestyle website ESDlife.

It found that couples are spending 16.2 percent less on wedding rings and jewelry and 9.4 percent less on attire compared with last year.

Rising gold prices have had a huge impact on wedding ring outlays. Other small cutbacks were made on banquets, down 3.4 percent to HK$135,455, pre-wedding photography, down 1.7 percent to HK$17,921, and cosmetics and hairstyling, down 1.8 percent to HK$5,049.

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However, on average, couples spent HK$8,119 on wedding photography and videos, up 3 percent on last year.

While 98 percent of the respondents had saved for their wedding, 23 percent still had to borrow from their parents.

The raising of wedding funds by making investments dropped dramatically from 43 to 18 percent, with the average amount invested standing at HK$82,000.

Two-thirds of the respondents planned to buy homes valued at HK$2.12 million on average.

Emily Wong and Stanley Lee, who will marry in October next year, said they have budgeted HK$274,000, of which HK$150,000 will go on the wedding banquet, HK$30,000 on the honeymoon and HK$15,000 on wedding rings and jewelry.

The couple, who have been together for 10 years, said they cut back on unnecessary spending such as entertainment and travel: "We used to go to concerts together, but we don't anymore to save for the wedding," 27-year-old Wong said.