For well over half of those walking down the aisle, wedded bliss starts with at least one hitch despite engaged couples going to great lengths to ensure a perfect day, according to research.

Honeymoons seem to be the main area of complaint with a quarter (25 per cent) of those surveyed saying that their honeymoon topped the list of things lovers would change about their wedding experience. If they could have their nuptials again, nearly a fifth (17 per cent) would change the venue, one in ten (11 per cent) would review the food or catering and a further one in ten (11 per cent) would opt for different guests. Seven per cent even admitted that they would change the bride or groom.

The research from Lloyds TSB Insurance, shows that the role families play in wedding day stress should not be underestimated with nearly one in ten (8 per cent) saying that family arguments upset their special day. Whilst, for others, the unpredictable British climate was a major factor with three per cent saying that bad weather took the shine off their ceremony.

With the average wedding costing over £15,000, many engaged couples are clearly taking matters into their own hands by planning everything from the engagement ring to the wedding gifts themselves in a bid to avoid costly mistakes.

Phil Loney, managing director of Lloyds TSB Insurance, says: “With the cost of weddings ever increasing, it is understandable that engaged couples are reluctant to leave anything to chance on their perfect day. Some things, such as the weather however, you just can’t plan for and by being properly insured, you can make sure that a dream wedding doesn’t turn into a nightmare.”

Breaking with the tradition of leaving the man to choose the engagement ring, brides appear to be keen to have their say. Well over three quarters (78 per cent) of engaged couples said that they shopped for the ring together and 6 per cent of prudent brides even admitted to buying their own engagement ring.

When it comes to wedding gifts, brides (and grooms) are not afraid of being up-front about getting what they want. Unsurprisingly, two in five (41 per cent) specify the gifts they would like on a wedding list but, a canny five per cent even admit to asking their guests for money to avoid the chance of getting unwanted gifts.

To ensure that the only tears shed are those on the wedding day, Lloyds TSB Home Solutions insurance provides additional cover of £3,000 for the period one month before and one month after the wedding. This covers gifts and any extra items bought for the wedding.