London - Monday 7th March 2016
It may be tradition for a bride to be late to church, but a new report released today reveals that this decision is no longer in the hands of the modern bride. The report, by UKTV's premium entertainment channel W released to coincide with the launch of new series Get Me To The Church, shows that half of all UK brides (51%) are now late to their own ceremony due to the pressures presented to them on their wedding day - culminating with one in five brides getting cold feet on the morning of the ceremony (21%).
While every bride plans for the 'perfect' day, even after the nerves have settled, make-up mishaps (27%), horrendous hair days (32%) and troublesome traffic (34%) all conspire to make brides late for their big day. And the dream dress? Ten per cent say they were late because it wouldn't fit.
This all results with grooms, on average, being left standing at the altar on average for 44 minutes, with one in five nervously waiting for over an hour (22%).
To help brides across the nation overcome these modern day problems and make up lost time, W has commissioned a limited edition 'Aisle Max' trainer* ergonomically designed to help brides get to the church on time.
Teaming up with wedding shoe designer to the stars, Milly J, the trainer features an aerodynamic veil, cushioned lace soles and diamond encrusted toe caps that let the brides ditch their sky-high stilettos and run flat-out to the church in comfort, while still getting hitched on time and in style.
Designer Milly J said,
My clients always share their worries for their big day and time is always a major concern. Romanticised with French lace, satin and bows, the 'Aisle Max' trainer is the perfect remedy to alleviate brides' worries and get them to the church in speed, comfort and style!
The new 'Aisle Max' trainer was put to the test by newlywed and star of the programme's premiere episode, Loz, who added,
I never thought I'd entertain wearing a pair of trainers underneath my wedding dress, but these look great - I wish I'd had a pair to help me save more time on my big day.
Launching tonight (Monday 7th March), Get Me To The Church sees a bride or groom and their friends dumped in a far-flung corner of the world. Stripped of their possessions, with no local knowledge and unable to speak the language, they face the ultimate deadline: to get to the church on time.
Every episode tells the story of a different couple's impending wedding, with either the bride or the groom and friends desperately trying to make it back in time for the ceremony. If they make it to the chapel on time, they'll win a dream honeymoon.
Get Me To The Church starts tonight at 9pm on W
To celebrate the launch, W is giving away a bespoke pair of 'Aisle Max' trainers - please visit @ LiveOnW to find out how to win.
For more information, contact the Get Me To The Church team at Fever: gmttclaunch@feverpr.com/020 3747 3030
Notes to Editors
[1] The survey of 1,000 UK respondents (all newlyweds) was commissioned by Censuswide on behalf of UKTV (Feb 2016)
About Get Me To The Church
Get Me To The Church is executive produced by UKTV's Helen Nightingale and ordered by W's General Manager, Steve North and UKTV's Director of Commissioning, Richard Watsham. The executive producers for Twofour are Dan Adamson. The series producer is Sarah Veevers.
About W
Sky 109/245, Virgin 124/191, BT & TalkTalk 407
On demand on Sky and Virgin
W is UKTV's premium entertainment channel, offering audiences a dazzling mix of original factual entertainment formats - Get Me To The Church, Honey I Bought the House - alongside hit shows from the US including Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CSI:NY, Grimm and The Strain plus the same day repeat of EastEnders.
About UKTV
UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches 42 million viewers a month.
UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £283m and EBITDA of £74.1m. It invested £123m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating its 22nd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.