Marriages which combine the influences of two different cultures or religions can be a wonderful experience for everyone involved, according to one journalist.

Writing in the Observer, Anushka Asthana wrote how her marriage to her husband Toby - which merged his English background and her Indian heritage - was a "magical journey that benefits all families involved".

She recalled the sight of her new husband dressed in traditional Indian clothes during the Hindu part of their nuptials, wearing a red turban with white tassels and a full-length white coat, surrounded by her extended family of aunties and uncles.

Overall, she believes that the differences in their cultures and their ceremonies highlight their similarities, rather than their differences.

Recently, the Conservatives expressed their concerns that marriage is becoming a middle-class institution, describing it as a way of tackling social divisions and helping families with children to stay together.