Weddings have proven to be the saviour for some craft shops when it comes to surviving the economic downturn.

According to the Scotsman, a rise in the number of people choosing to make their own wedding invitations is helping to drive business for craft shops in Edinburgh.

Daintree Paper, which was set up to provide materials and advice to couples making their own invites, saw its sales rise by nearly a third over the past three months.

The company said that many people who had not tried arts and crafts before were looking for a way to save money on their big day.

Stephen McMahon, shop manager at Daintree Paper, said: "Saving money is one of the biggest reasons for people making their invitations themselves.

"Weddings are notoriously expensive so if people can cut back on some of that then they will, especially now," he added.

Also in Scotland, a wedding show is being held at Ingliston, Edinburgh, on February 7th and 8th where brides may find everything they need for their big day.