More and more British brides and grooms are choosing to exchange vows on the beach, according to a research that shows that 73% of travel agents in the UK are seeing an increased demand for beach wedding locations, Lonely Planet reports.

With the inclement weather that Britain suffers from, it is probably no surprise that the top five destinations for overseas weddings all offer a high chance of sunshine, with Cyprus taking the number one spot, followed by the Caribbean Islands, Greece, Italy and Mexico.

While beach locations showed the biggest growth in popularity, 34% of the 115 travel agents surveyed also reported growth in demand for countryside locations, and 28% for city locations. There was also an increase in couples wishing to getting married near historical monuments, in mountain or jungle locations, or on cruise ships.

It is believed the international weddings market will set to grow over the coming year, with 58% expecting budgets for overseas weddings to increase by an average of 12% compared with just 5% who think budgets will get smaller.

This research indicated a 70% increase in the average value of payments sent abroad for wedding-related expenses, and was conducted as part of the Post Office International Payments’ World Next Door project, which looks at the growing internationalisation of people’s lives.