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Half of Newlyweds Don’t Have Sex on Wedding Night

Half of Newlyweds Don’t Have Sex on Wedding Night


Alison Hargreaves Guides for Brides Bio
Alison Hargreaves Updated:
8th of March 2023

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A new study has revealed that 52% of married couples don’t consummate their marriage on their wedding night by having sex.

Top reasons given included being ‘too drunk’, needing to leave for honeymoon and arguing before the end of the wedding reception.

For many newlyweds, their first night spent as man and wife may not be what they were expecting, as a new study conducted by a leading money saving website in the UK has revealed what really happens on the average wedding night. The poll of 2,138 individuals who got married in the past 3 years has suggested that times have changed.

In the study, only 48% disclosed to www.VoucherCodesPro.co.uk that they did indeed make love to their husband or wife on their wedding night. What’s more, 17% of those polled confessed that they waited more than three days after their wedding ceremony to officially consummate their marriage by having sex.

Of those questioned in the study, 72% agreed that sex on a wedding night was not as important as it had once been. What’s more, of the 48% who did make love on their wedding night, 66% stated that it wasn’t as memorable or romantic as the sex they enjoyed once they were on their honeymoon.

When asked to divulge the reasons as to why their wedding night was not celebrated in the traditional way of making love, if they hadn’t had sex on their wedding night, the results emerged as follows:

1. The groom was too drunk (24%)

2. The bride was too tired and fell asleep (16%)

3. The bride was too drunk (13%)

4. Had to look after our children (11%)

5.  We had an argument before wedding reception ended (9%)

6. Needed to leave for our honeymoon (9%)

7. Stayed up all night partying/celebrating with guests (7%)

8. The groom was too tired and fell asleep (4%)

9. Neither of us felt like having sex (4%)

10. Other (3%)

The research was carried out after VoucherCodesPro noticed an increase in searches for wedding related discounts and wedding lingerie. George Charles, Marketing Director of Voucher Codes Pro, made the following comments following the results of the study:

“The results of our study seem to highlight perfectly the fact that the emphasis of wedding night sex for married couples is no longer a huge factor. It may be that the stress and pressure of organising a wedding in today’s society takes the main priority, especially considering such a large proportion of couples have been living together for years, and have children once they get married nowadays.”

Alison Hargreaves Guides for Brides Bio

About the author


Alison Hargreaves

Alison has been advising brides, grooms and bridesmaids for more than 25 years. She has an unrivalled knowledge of the British wedding industry and frequently appears on podcasts and expert panels. She regularly attends international wedding conferences to keep the UK at the forefront of wedding planning trends.

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