We've recently conducted an extensive survey of over 7,500 brides married in 2017 and uncovered new and growing trends in the UK wedding industry.
We've identified that although civil weddings are still the firm choice for 65% of those getting married, 27.5% of these weddings fall into the ‘unusual’ category. “We noticed a big increase in weddings considered ‘unusual’ because they either took place overseas or in unusual venues, but also theme or film-based weddings or walking weddings where the journey between two places is as significant as the ceremony itself,” says Alison Hargreaves, Managing Director of Guides for Brides. “We also think this figure is likely to continue to rise as more couples opt for humanist or celebrant-led ceremonies that do not have to conform to the more traditional wedding format.
Bride to be, Alexandra Butland explained why she opted for a civil wedding, “We are not religious and so didn’t feel that we should get married in a church. We also found our favoured venue allowed us to have the ceremony on site, but also the wedding breakfast and evening celebration.”
The survey found that Friday is fast becoming a preferred option for those getting married with 23% choosing this over any other day. However, Saturdays remain the most popular day to get married at 60%; particularly for those wanting a church wedding. “There are numerous advantages to a weekday wedding including the availability of your venue but also costs, with registrars charging less to officiate on weekdays and many venues providing good discounts,” suggests Hargreaves.
Another significant shift is from weddings in May to July with over 50% of brides now choosing late summer weddings. December was also another popular month from those responding who just felt it was a romantic time of year for a winter wedding, it also worked well with annual leave and opened the door for long-haul honeymoon destinations. “In the past, suppliers have seen a rush of enquiries during January from brides getting married that summer. With couples opting for late summer dates we are seeing the enquiry period extending and far less urgency in making bookings,” advises Hargreaves.
Asked how the wedding industry can improve, Alexandra suggests “There is so much to organise when getting married. We started planning early, and we have found that wedding suppliers all need more of our time, details and payments so close to the date and it would be great if many of these things could be agreed earlier.”
The survey revealed that the cost of wedding dresses and suits is also on the rise with brides choosing more exclusive designers from boutiques offering high levels of customer care and grooms opting for suits with unusual cuts, colours or linings.
With so many elements to juggle and the significant cost of getting married wedding suppliers need to keep pace with the changing needs of brides and bridegrooms. “We wanted to gather both substantial and robust information as we recognise the importance of understanding trends in the wedding industry so that we can give the best advice to our venues and other wedding suppliers, concludes Hargreaves.
According to money.co.uk, the average cost of a wedding in 2028 will increase to £29,838.73.