The Best New Wedding Trend? Doing Whatever You Want.

“The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. ticked up from $28,000 to $29,000 from 2022 to 2023, according to the wedding planning website Zola. Experts credit the popularization of TikTok and other forms of social media that show infinite possibilities as being a big contributor to rising costs.” -Samantha Leal

SL: “‘The wedding industry’s emotional hold on people, and its “If you don’t do it perfectly, you’ll regret it forever” messaging, just isn’t working anymore.’ says Sara Margulis, the CEO of Honeyfund. Now say it louder for those in the back! No one needs that kind of pressure at the start of their marriage.”

SL: “I loved this quote: ’Many don't want to be defined by the overly romanticized, traditional, and costly expectations of their wedding. So it is time for us in the wedding industry to expand the definition of what a perfect day means.’ This is from the CEO of a wedding planning app—here’s hoping other leaders are thinking along the same lines."

SL: “While personalization has become a core component to how and why weddings are changing, alternative weddings have also been a big hit. In this article, Pinterest notes searches for alternative weddings—especially underwater weddings—have jumped 305% on its platform.”

SL: “And speaking of underwater weddings...”

SL: “Ah, the horrors of the amount we pay to go to a wedding. My hope is that brides and grooms are becoming more cognizant of the financial pressures of attending a wedding, but honestly… I think it’ll take a lot longer for this legacy to change.”

SL: “In fact, 18% of people will need to take on credit card debt to attend a wedding. That’s absolutely absurd. Please—please!—give guests budget choices if you can. And if you’re an invited guest, please know it’s absolutely okay to say no and celebrate another way.”

SL: $10,000 for a wedding dress? Not likely. More brides are saying ‘no’ to the dress and pocketing the money they save, opting for thrifted finds or even borrowed dresses.”

SL: “Am I the only one who swoons over City Hall weddings? (Clearly not.) While this isn’t a ‘changing’ reality of weddings, per se, the acceptance, aesthetic, and extras (like pricey photographers) have changed. And they’re marking a big change for this type of wedding.”

SL: “I guess one way to help pay for your wedding is to monetize it. Content creators are using new pay models to help offset their wedding costs by making money… during their weddings.”

SL: “Brides asking their new spouse (or a friend) to cut their hair between ceremony and reception is definitely a trend I didn’t see coming. But turns out it’s a pretty cost-effective one: A dramatic ‘second look’ for the reception for free? Talk about getting a lot of bang for your buck.”

SL: “Minimoons have been a thing for a minute, but the idea of taking one before the wedding is a nice idea. (Especially if you can swing this type of luxury.)”

SL: “Who says you need a big bachelorette? And who says you need to bring friends? Solo vacations are super popular, so it’s really no surprise to me that solo bachelorettes are gaining steam. ‘Instead of turning it up, some women prefer dialing it down, swapping shots of Fireball with those of wheatgrass juice.’”

SL: “I’ve heard of ‘beer boys’ instead of flower girls. But beer-toting donkeys, wow. This whole article is a trip (and honestly, a joy).”