As the overall economy of the United Kingdom continues to change so do wedding trends, budgets and couples’ aspirations for their big day. In today’s market, it’s absolutely crucial that hospitality and wedding professionals understand the wants and needs of their potential customers in order to grab their share of business in this competitive market.
We surveyed more than 1,200 engaged individuals in the United Kingdom to bring you the very latest data on the key drivers in hotel and venue wedding sales. See the principal takeaways from our research and our infographic of the latest trends in wedding planning in the UK.
Who did we hear from?
We surveyed 1,200 engaged people all over the UK about their upcoming nuptials, almost two-thirds of whom already had their Venue booked. The vast majority of them fell into the beautiful bride category (92%) aged 25-34. With 80% of these millennial brides in the middle of planning a 2019/2020 Wedding just 9% were still undecided.
When & Where will they say ‘I do’?
Spring Weddings topped the bill last year however this year we see May overtaking September as a favourite with British couples along with August. Saturday remains the most popular day to wed with a whopping 59% of respondents. Most people will still marry at home in the UK but those opting to marry abroad or elope is on the rise. Just over half will have a civil ceremony in a venue with less than a third having the traditional church wedding.
What’s the budget breakdown?
Some traditions still ring true with 65% telling us that their partner picked the ring – 43% will spend less than £2,000 on the bling! With 25% spending more than £15,000 on their wedding, most couples rely on their savings to pay for their big day. When it comes to splashing the cash, the Venue is in the no.1 spot for budget allocation followed Dress & Suits, Food & Drink and Video/Photography. This year we asked the per head cost for the venue and 34% said they’d be spending less than £50. UK Weddings are not as big in size as their Irish Cousins with 4 in 10 having less than 80 guests with evening invites being popular with over 80% of respondents.
What’s The verdict on venues?
Country Houses/Exclusive Use Venues have become more popular than Hotels this year taking a third of all bookings. The UK couple is also booking more Barn weddings and other more alternative venues. Venues certainly need to roll out the red carpet when the happy couple comes to call as 65% will visit just 3 venues or less before making their decision. The traditional sign down meal is still the favourite in the UK but 3 in 10 will do something different like a BBQ or Buffet. Half of the brides we spoke to describe their style as traditional or romantic. No wonder 31% of them will have giant letters and a candy cart! Check out our Infographic for some top facts!
Updated 16/03/2023:Want to know more? Take a look at our UK Wedding Industry Report 2023 to find out the newest wedding trends. Download it here
Click on the infographic below to see some more details on the latest wedding planning trends:
