At WeddingDates we love hearing all about what couples are planning for their special day and also what their guest might think too! This information is invaluable to our clients, some 2000+ wedding venues and suppliers throughout the UK and Ireland. We also engage with over 50,000 couples and brides to be via our social media platforms and newsletters and they are always keen to stay on top of trends and latest wedding news!
We spoke to over 1,000* people throughout the UK to hear their views and got some interesting feedback!
First off, how real is the Brexit Effect? Well…..89% of couples are unconcerned about the effect of Brexit and possible rising interest rates when it comes to planning their wedding.
Spend varies greatly, and just over 25% have a budget of £10-15k (excluding honeymoon) and around 20% spend over £15k. Lucky for some, over 50% in fact, get some help from their parents with the cost of the wedding.
While most couples like the idea of a June wedding, when it comes down to it they end up booking other months, with August and September topping the bill. Not surprising, Saturdays are still the most popular wedding date, followed by Fridays.
Couples are typically engaged for 1 to 2 years and home is still where the heart is with 94% heading down the aisle in the UK.
With Church weddings at under 3 in 10, couples are definitely looking for alternative venues for their big day. Barns and other more unusual venues are on the rise and couples know what they want visiting on average just 3 venues before making a decision. Couples also want to feel very special on their day and so knowing that their venue only hosts one wedding is the most important factor to them when choosing a venue, quickly followed by the quality of the food and value for money.
Wedding guests also cite food at the most important factor when attending a wedding, followed by the entertainment/band and a convenient location. With well over a third of guests attending more than 2 weddings a year and spending on average £100-£200 per wedding, couples will want to ensure that their wedding is memorable. The tricky Plus One decision can cause problems for couples and their guests too, with over half of guests being annoyed if they didn’t get one. While wedding traditions are changing, wearing white is still a NO NO by a wedding guest.
A word of warning to guests however, be very aware of the couples’ view on social media posting during the wedding if you want to remain friends! Three quarters of people believe that it is not OK to post photos on social media before the wedding party. In fact, 1 in 10 couples will have an outright ban on social media for their wedding with a further 33% having a ban on it for the morning of the wedding and ceremony.
We’ve also noticed some interesting trends over the past year through our own day to day dealings with wedding venues, such as the rise of Monday weddings to get a good deal or couples pushing the wedding out by a full year putting their house purchase first.
No doubt the upcoming Royal Wedding will impact future wedding styles and themes. I for one am looking forward to keeping a close eye on what trends Megan Markel and Prince Harry set on the 19th May!
Until next time!
Ciara
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Ciara Crossan is Founder & CEO of WeddingDates. Celebrating 10 Years in Business
*Research undertaken in August 2017 among 1087 respondents throughout the UK via Survey Monkey by WeddingDates.
Updated 16/03/2023: Read our latest UK Wedding Industry Report 2023.Download it here
DOWNLOAD THE SURVEY RESULTS HERE
