Spending and the Number of Wedding-Related Events Soar, According to Brides American Wedding Study 2018

The number of couples that are married in a house of worship is down, at 23% (vs. 27% in 2017).
87% of brides report using Pinterest as an inspiration source for their wedding.
53% allow guests to RSVP to wedding and/or wedding-related events via email or wedding site.
On average, brides are spending the following on wedding fashion:

NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Brides, Condé Nast's iconic wedding brand and the authority on all things bridal, released findings from the 2018 American Wedding Study. The American Wedding Study is an annual survey of engaged and newlywed couples across the country, conducted by Brides, that reveals key insights into the latest wedding trends, behaviors, and spending habits for weddings in America.

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"In 2018, spending is way up across categories, proving that while couples are doing things their own way, they are still prioritizing celebrating their marriage," said Lisa Gooder, executive director, Brides. "More than ever, couples are savoring the whole process, from engagement to honeymoon and beyond, by celebrating with more events, trips, and professional photos or videos to capture the moments."

The average cost of a wedding is $44,105, an all-time high, and couples invested in expanding the celebration more than ever. Also in 2018, 9 percent of couples took a wedding-moon (pre-wedding trip) together; 31 percent of couples had multiday-event wedding weekends (up from 20 percent in 2017); 39 percent of couples had a post-reception after-party (up from 20 percent in 2017); and 14 percent of brides wore a second look for their after-party (up from 7 percent in 2017).

KEY COSTS

Average cost of a wedding: $44,105
Average cost of reception: $9,764
Catering: $12,242
Rentals: $2,920
Dress: $2,260
Veil: $316
Day-of-wedding beauty for bride and bridal party: $944
Groom's attire: $602
Wedding planner fees: $2,481
Cake: $547
Flowers: $2,629
Other decor $1,183
Wedding day transportation: $1,275
Reception music: $2,380
Photography: $3,133
Videography: $2,180
Ceremony: $651
Favors: $422
Rehearsal dinner: $2,775
Post-wedding brunch: $1,503
After-party: $1,325
Engagement ring(s): $7,829
Wedding ring(s): $1,890
Invitations, announcements, thank-you cards, etc.: $917
Gifts to parents: $386
Gifts to bridesmaids: $419

KEY FINDINGS

Average age of bride: 28
Average age of partner: 29
Average number of bridal attendants: 5.4
Average number of groomsmen: 5.3
September and October are the most popular months to get married. (32%)
The majority of couples get married on Saturday (68%), followed by Friday (16%), and Sunday (9%).
Average number of guests: 167
84% live together before getting married; 72% prior to engagement
8% already have children, 2% have them together.
And 17% of brides will wear something nontraditional (jumpsuit/colored dress, separates, etc.)

83% of brides opted for a white/off-white wedding dress (down from 92% in 2017)

14% of brides purchase a different dress/outfit for their after-party (up from 7% in 2017).
17% of couples have a destination wedding.
9% of couples took a wedding-moon (pre-wedding trip) in 2018, up from 7%.
4% of brides purchased their wedding attire at a ready-to-wear/specialty store (vs. 2% in 2017).
3% of couples took a buddy-moon. (a group post-wedding trip with friends and/or family)
97% of brides say their fiancé is involved in planning the wedding, and of those, 36% are very involved.
Although 92% set a budget (vs. 90% in 2017), 45% of those who do spend more than they planned (vs. 34% in 2017).
87% of couples went on a honeymoon/mini-moon, up from 77% in 2017.
More couples are taking engagement photos than ever, up to 80% from 66% in 2017.
More couples are having a post-wedding brunch; 41% vs. 31% in 2017.
Engagement parties are on the rise, with 38% of couples saying they had one, up from 32% in 2017.
28% of couples got engaged on a holiday or special occasion, up from 12% in 2017.

December has the most engagements at 14%.

Wedding weekends (multiday events) are growing in popularity; with 31% of couples stating they had one, up from 20% in 2017.
The post-reception after-party is up to 39% from 20% in 2017.
83% of couples began sharing expenses (i.e. rent/mortgage, utilities).

Making it their own:

I and/or my partner did/will…

Write our own vows: 49% (up from 42% in 2017)
Incorporate favorite food or drink: 48%
Incorporate DIY or homemade decorations: 46%
Incorporate signature cocktails: 41%
Incorporate a nontraditional wedding cake: 38%
Incorporate entertainment/performers: 30%
Incorporating ethnic/cultural family traditions (e.g,. jumping the broom, Chinese tea ceremony, etc.): 28%
Choreographed first dance: 12%

Traditions are selected a la carte:

76% took/plan to take their fiancés name when they get married (down from 82% in 2017).
76% wear a veil.
First dance: 93%
Toasts: 88%
Cut the cake: 82%
Wear something old, new, borrowed, blue: 82%
Not see the partner until the ceremony: 49% (down from 61% in 2017)
Throw the bridal bouquet at the reception: 46% (down from 63% in 2017)
Traditional wedding vows: 44% (down from 50% in 2017)
Throwing of the garter: 32% (down from 50% in 2017)
Groom's cake: 14%
Only 49% of couples had a ring bearer, down from 57% in 2017.
15% chose to have a man of honor.
11% incorporate their pets into their wedding party (up from 8% in 2017).
6% have a best woman.
88% of brides have a maid/matron of honor, and 85% of bridesmaids have bridesmaids.
84% of grooms have a best man.

Ceremony/Reception:

28% of couples opt to marry in an event space/hall/banquet facility.
The number of couples that are married in a house of worship is down, at 23% (vs. 27% in 2017).
10% of couples choose to marry in a resort/hotel or bed & breakfast.
6% of couples marry in a historical building.
5% marry in a country club or golf course.
45% have a pastor, rabbi, or other religious official perform the ceremony.
36% have friends/family get ordained to officiate the ceremony.
15% have a nondenominational officiant.

SOCIAL MEDIA

23% met their partner on social media, through a dating app, or an online dating site.
82% report using social media to find inspiration/their wedding style.

87% of brides report using Pinterest as an inspiration source for their wedding.
76% of brides report using Instagram as an inspiration source for their wedding.
20% of brides report using Facebook as an inspiration source for their wedding.

70% use social media to find and follow vendors.
60% follow wedding brands/products they've already purchased/booked.
57% search social media by hashtag to view photos of other weddings (up from 37% in 2017).
48% use social to purchase items for the wedding (bridesmaids dresses, invitations, beauty products, etc.).
46% post photos/updates/stories throughout the planning process (up from 40% in 2017).
54% of brides say most of their friends learned of their engagement through social media (up from 54% in 2017).
70% create a custom hashtag for guests to use at the wedding (vs. 51% in 2017).
48% create a custom hashtag for their wedding-related events (i.e. bachelorette party) vs. 36% in 2017.
35% create a custom Snapchat geofilter for their wedding (vs. 17% in 2017).
9% ask guests not to post photos of their wedding on social media.

WEDDING TECH

94% of couples incorporate technology into their wedding planning in some way.
80% create a wedding website for guests.
67% use a wedding planning app (i.e. checklists, budget trackers).
53% allow guests to RSVP to wedding and/or wedding-related events via email or wedding site.
27% send digital invites to wedding-related events (i.e. shower, bachelorette, engagement party, etc.).
26% use high-tech devices for photographing their wedding (i.e. drones, GIF photo booths, GoPros, etc.).
10% send digital invites as save-the-dates.
7% have a live feed of wedding hashtag displayed at the reception (i.e. Instagram photos, tweets, etc.).
6% send digital invites to wedding ceremony or reception.
5% live-stream their ceremony for out-of-town guests.
4% offer charging stations for guests at their wedding.

WEDDING FASHION

83% of brides will wear a white/off-white wedding dress (down from 92% in 2017).
17% of brides will wear something non-traditional (jumpsuit/colored dress, separates, etc.).
76% wear a veil.
Top purchase locations for wedding-day attire:

66% of brides purchased their wedding-day attire at a bridal salon.
17% purchased their wedding-day attire at a independent local bridal salon.
8% purchased their wedding-day attire at a national bridal chain.
2% purchased their wedding-day attire at a department store.
4% of brides purchased their wedding-day attire at a ready-to-wear/specialty store (vs. 2% in 2017).
2% purchased their wedding-day attire at a sample sale.
1% purchased their wedding-day attire at Etsy/or had it custom made.
3% had it made by a dressmaker, relative, or self.
1% purchased online directly from a website/e-retailer.

On average, brides are spending the following on wedding fashion:

Dress: $2,260
Headpiece/veil: $316
Wedding-day jewelry: $316
Wedding-day accessories: $288
Day-of-wedding beauty: $944
Mother-of-the-bride dress: $362

Groom's suit and accessories: $602

53% of grooms wore a suit.
43% wore a tuxedo.
3% wore other

57% bought formalwear.
38% rented from a formalwear specialist.
3% wore other.

Bridesmaids:

48% of brides choose the color and let bridesmaids choose the style/designer.
30% have all bridesmaids match in color/style.
70% of brides are having mismatched bridesmaids (in style or color, or variety, etc.)
7% choose the style/designer and let the bridesmaids choose the color.
2% let them wear whatever they choose.
12% are not sure yet or chose other (i.e. a color family, option to select between a couple different looks, etc.).

About Brides
In over 80 years of publication, Brides, published by Condé Nast, has remained the most widely read magazine in the category and the country's foremost authority on engagement, weddings, and marriage. Brides is a media brand with a bimonthly print publication that reaches more than 5 million readers, a website that has an audience of more than 4 million uniques per month, and more than 3 million followers across the brand's social platforms. For more information on Brides, please visit Brides.com.

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