How Millennials are changing weddings: From skipping church to Instagram obsession
Although weddings are for many of us the last bastion that links us to tradition, more and more couples choose to break away from old customs, such as white dress or religious ceremony, and impose their own vision in the wedding’s “scenography”. It’s about Millennials, the generation that has learned to break with the past.
Millennials simply redefine the wedding in almost all respects, and events specialists on this niche even talk about a wedding revolution.
Some young people choose to replace the traditional fruit cake with a cheese cake, others choose to take their vows on a mountain peak, but most change almost everything, from the color of the bridal dress to the decor.
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First of all, they get married much later, because they concentrate on their careers until the age of 35.
According to ONS figures, the average age for men to get married in England and Wales is 36.7 years and for women it’s 34.3 years, far higher than the mid to late twenties which was ordinary 40 years ago.
That’s why a third of young people afford to pay for the wedding without asking for help from their parents, but they choose days of the week to organize the party, when the venues have better prices.
Secondly, they skip the church, choosing the much lower-key alternative of a registry office, followed by more elaborate blessing in a unique location.
“Couples are constantly pushing the boundaries in terms of where their wedding ceremony or blessing is taking place and this in turn helps them to infuse their own personality into their wedding,” says Nancy Hallam, from wedding planning company Lily & Sage.
According to Bridebook’s 2017 Wedding Report, more and more couples are choosing to hold their ceremonies and receptions at the same venue, with a country manor house proving the most popular location.
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Another surprising thing is that they are spending enormous sums of money.
Bridebook’s survey of 4,000 couples across the UK shows also that the average total wedding costs have reached a new record of £26,989.
As a matter of fact, the average amount that couples are spending on their wedding has increased significantly year on year for the past five years.
Another trend is the strong personalisation of the wedding. Because of this, weddings have become much more design-led – from large scale installations to little details like signature cocktails, according to Nancy Hallam.
Also, more and more couples are creating ‘DIY’ weddings where elements such as favours, place cards, and invitations are made by hand.
This practice helps young people to fit into the budget and at the same time obtain truly wonderful results in personalisation, surprising each time the wedding guests.
Obviously, for the ‘Selfie generation’, social media has an enormous influence when it comes to weddings.
In the old days, the couples getting married would had a monogram, now they have a hashtag. In addition, the place in which they saves ideas for inspiration is Pinterest, and wedding invitations are made in the form of YouTube videos.
Above all, it’s Instagram, which is fueling pressure for the big day to be perfect.
In the end, the fact that today’s weddings are inspired by the digital environment only adds value to the ‘landscape’, because the more personal a wedding is, the more meaningful it is for those who are in the center of attention, as well as guests.
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