Zola surveyed close to 7,000 couples getting married in 2024 about why, what and how they’re planning for their weddings. Here’s a deeper dive into all of the data.
Here’s a closer look at alllllllll of the data that informed our 2024 First Look Report.
Pre-Engagement and Getting Engaged
Couples this year want to have a fun party that they’ve always dreamed about, and they aren’t waiting to start the planning. With many couples together 5+ years, living together and combining finances, 89% are taking steps towards the aisle before the question is popped. And, engagement timelines have shrunk back to pre-pandemic lengths of about 1-1 ½ years.
Why are you having a wedding (i.e. why are you hosting a celebration of your marriage?) Please select all that apply.
- 65.49% - We want a fun party
- 54.21% - I/we have always dreamed about it
- 50.27% - We want to demonstrate our love for each other
- 44.31% - It means a lot to us
- 28.54% - Our families want us to
- 22.64% - It’s tradition / everyone we know did it
- 19.16% - For spiritual / religious / cultural meaning
- 9.83% - Because society says that’s what you do
- 2.63% - We did not really want to have a wedding
- 2.05% - I don’t know
- 4.14% - Other
How long will you have been engaged by the time you get married?
- 1.99% - Between 1-6 months
- 13.26% - Between 7-11 months
- 50% - between 12-18 months
- 16.35% - between 19-23 months
- 13.67% - 2 years
- 2.56% - 3 years
- 2.05% - between 4 - 10 years
- 0.27% - over 10 years
How long will you have been with your partner by the time you get married?
- 1.63% - 1 year
- 9.55% - 2 years
- 15.42% - 3 years
- 15.77% - 4 years
- 15.47% - 5 years
- 11.73% - 6 years
- 10% - 7 years
- 6.58% - 8 years
- 4.82% - 9 years
- 8.56% - 10 or more years
The wedding planning activities couples do BEFORE getting engaged
- 25.43% - Discussed when you would get engaged
- 18.73% - Shopped for rings WITH your partner
- 10.86% - Created a wedding moodboard
- 9.14% - Shopped for rings WITHOUT your partner
- 7.75% - Discussed the budget for your wedding
- 4.11% - Decided on your wedding date
- 3.68% - Toured a wedding venue
- 2.60% - Started your wedding website
- 2.39% - BOOKED a wedding venue
- 1.72% - Shopped for wedding attire
- 1.48% - Created your wedding registry
- 1.06% - “proposed” to your wedding party
- 0.26% - Sent out a save the date
- 10.78% - None of the above
Before getting married you and your partner will have…
- 87.57% - lived together
- 40.27% - combined finances
- 26.07% - bought a home
- 23.18% - gone through any form of couples therapy or pre-marital counseling
- 21.43% - made another big purchase (e.g a car)
- 15.72% - shared debt
- 9.89% - broken up and gotten back together
- 8.91% - had child(ren) (together or separate)
- 6.26% - signed a prenuptial agreement
- 6.16% - been in a previous marriage
- 3.54% - none of the above
Wedding Planning Decisions and Feelings
2024 couples are enjoying the ride. Most find the planning process to be overall enjoyable, with 18% reporting that their experience has been absolutely amazing. 64% of couples are planning to have local affairs, while 36% are planning destination weddings. When it comes to selecting the venue, couples care most about ambiance / vibe, and budget, of course.
How has wedding planning been for you so far?
- 53.16% - Overall enjoyable
- 27.09% - It’s not my favorite, but I’m figuring it out
- 17.79% - Amazing - I absolutely love all the decisions and details and could do this for a living
- 1.88% - I hate it - want to delegate everything
- 0.08% - I haven’t been participating at all
Where the wedding is taking place
- 8.84% - Very, very local (in the spot where the majority of our guests live)
- 55.06% - Local (most guests able to travel by car)
- 28.27%- Domestic destination (within the U.S, requires longer travel for many)
- 7.69% - International destination
- .13% - Not sure yet
What are / were the top 3 priorities when it comes to selecting your venue?
- 57.34% - ambiance / vibe of the location
- 55.81% - inline with our budget
- 31.83% - has outdoor space
- 28.12% - local / convenient for most guests
- 25.94% - It’s a location with significance for me and/or my partner (i.e. where one of us grew up, etc.)
- 24.88% - has covered / indoor space for weather
- 18.41% - guest capacity
- 15.23% - great for photography
- 9.89% - flexible vendor list (i.e. able to book any caterer, florist, etc.)
- 9.66% - had amazing reviews online and/or from other couples
- 4.91% - payment options
- 1.07% - our wedding planner recommended the location
- 5.64% - other
Which wedding-specific events are you planning? (Select all that apply)
- 97.09% - Reception
- 89.31% - Ceremony (not at a courthouse)
- 4.65% - Courthouse ceremony
- 67.52% - Rehearsal dinner
- 51.15% - Bach party
- 39.36% - Wedding shower
- 31.90% - Welcome party
- 29.02% - Wedding after-party
- 22.94% - Goodbye brunch
- 4.11% - Specific cultural event
- 15.50% - Engagement party
- 2.95% - Elopement
- 1.47% - Other
How did you select your wedding date?
- 33.72% - Based on availability of our preferred wedding venue / vendors
- 14.24% - Based on availability of our friends and family
- 13.80% - A date that is off-peak to save money
- 11.84% - A date that is symbolic to our relationship
- 9.54% - A date that is easy to remember
- 2.22% - Based on a culturally lucky or auspicious date
- 1.20% - A loved one’s anniversary
- 0.76% - Based on astrology
- 12.69% - other
What words would you use to describe wedding planning?
- 66.98% - Exciting
- 52.50% - Stressful
- 49.78% - Fun
- 47.70% - Special
- 46.64% - Overwhelming
- 31.69% - Full of love
- 30.93% - Surprising / unexpected
- 26.6% - Grateful
- 22.76% - Joyful
- 19.08% - Exhausting
- 18.65% - Nerve-wracking
- 15.52% - Inspired
- 12.51% - Absurd / ridiculous
- 11.46% - Frustrating
- 10.71% - Chill
- 10.70% - Amusing / funny
- 8% - Neutral
- 3.43% - Disappointing
- 1.98% - Unhinged
- 1.85% - Other (mainly callouts for the word “expensive”)
Pain Points That Accompany Wedding Planning
While couples feel pretty prepared to begin the planning process, they can’t be prepared for the sheer number of decisions that come with the territory. They also need support managing their budgets and guest lists.
How prepared did you feel to plan your wedding before you started?
- 37.99% - Pretty prepared, but there were some things I didn’t realize
- 33.53% - A little prepared, I had to do some research
- 21.91% - Not at all prepared!
- 6.58% - Super prepared, nothing surprised me
What didn’t you feel prepared for?
- 69.46% - The sheer number of decisions
- 50.09% - Managing a budget
- 49.61% - Managing the guest list
- 39.49% - Family / friend drama
- 38.44% - The amount I’d have to talk about getting married with friends, family and strangers
- 37.78% - Vendor outreach and hiring
- 36.26% - Setting a budget
- 32.38% - Vendor negotiations / contracts
- 22.06% - Discussing our finances
- 10.57% - The commitment that comes with it
- 2.90% - Other
What have been the biggest pain points during your wedding planning process?
- 45.43% - Creating / managing our budget
- 35.34% - Creating our guest list
- 20.38% - Choosing other vendors
- 17.52% - Finding wedding inspiration that feels like you
- 13.67% - Picking out our wedding decor (flowers, balloons, etc.)
- 10.53% - Deciding who to add to our wedding party
- 9.92% - Booking our venue
- 6.42% - Saying “yes” to wedding attire
- 4.96% - Creating our playlist
- 4.41% - Picking out / designing our save the dates or invites
- 3.66% - Sharing the news with family & friends
- 3.63% - Creating our wedding registry
- 2.26% - Picking our date
- 2.33% - Building our wedding website
- 3.64% - Deciding on our menu
- 0.98% - Writing thank you notes
Wedding Budgets and Spend in 2024
The average cost of a wedding in 2024 will hit a high of over $30,000+ as more couples than last year budget between $30k-$50k. In parallel, more couples are covering their own wedding costs by saving up and optimizing smartly. This isn’t to say that couples are unable to splurge as they remain willing to spend on their photographer, venue and open bar.
What is your wedding budget?
- 3.45% - $5,000 or less
- 8.61% - $5,000 - $10,000
- 10.84% - $10,000 - $15,000
- 12.27% - $15,000 - $20,000
- 17.53% - $20,000 - $30,000
- 13.17% - $30,000 - $40,000
- 10.65% - $40,000 - $50,000
- 10.92% - $50,000 - $75,000
- 5.53% - $75,000 - $100,000
- 4.03% - $100,000 or more
- 3.01% - prefer not to answer
Here’s how many guests couples are inviting to their weddings this year:
- 0.22% - Completely eloping
- 0.10% - less than 10
- 1.86% - 10-30 guests
- 4.33% - 30-50 guests
- 7.41% - 50-75 guests
- 16.61% - 75-100 guests
- 33.51% - 100 - 150 guests
- 22.82% - 150 - 200 guests
- 11.07% - 200 - 300 guests
- 1.85% - 300 - 500 guests
- 0.22% - 500+ guests
Are you and your partner contributing to the cost of your wedding?
- 59.97% - Yes - we are contributing to the cost but not paying for it in full
- 26.92% - Yes - we are completely covering the cost ourselves
- 12.49% - No - our wedding cost is being covered by loved ones
- 1.01% - No, other
How are you financing your wedding? Please select all that apply.
- 50.37% - I / we saved up for years before getting engaged
- 31.95% - We are optimizing credit cards (using points, taking out new credit cards, etc.)
- 16.69% - Adding wedding elements to our registry (i.e. cash fund for photographer fees, etc.)
- 4.94% - We have taken out a loan
- 1.42% - Crowdsourcing / funding
- 20.27% - Other
Who else is contributing to the cost of your wedding? Please select all that apply.
- 56.73% - My family
- 41.92% - My partner’s family
- 0.87% - Friends
- 0.48% - Other (please specify)
What elements of your wedding are you most willing to splurge on? Please select up to 3
- 54.76% - Photographer
- 42.60% - Open bar
- 41.27% - Venue
- 28.54% - Catering
- 23.41% - Attire
- 18.71% - Music
- 11.46% - Flowers
- 10.5% - Videographer
- 9.6% - Beauty team
- 9.54% - Reception experiences
- 6.68% - Decor
- 5.42% - Wedding planner
- 3.14% - Cake / desert
- 2.61% - Late night snack
- 2.13% - Venue rentals
- 1.11% - Other
- 1.05% - None of the above
How Couples are Personalizing Their Weddings
Especially since couples are spending so much money on their wedding events, they really do care about look and feel. Couples want to have even more fun, energetic, inclusive weddings this year that are also less traditional and fancy.
| Less | No Change | More | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unique/Different | 3.20% | 33.93% | 62.87% |
| Traditional | 43.63% | 38.02% | 18.36% |
| Emotional | 9.61% | 49.46% | 40.94% |
| Religious | 57.62% | 28.25% | 14.13% |
| Fancy | 30.43% | 45.40% | 24.17% |
| Casual | 33.13% | 42.55% | 24.33% |
| Fun | 0.34% | 13.76% | 85.90% |
| Inclusive/Welcoming of all | 2.03% | 26.71% | 71.27% |
| A reflection of our values. | 1.22% | 30.34% | 68.43% |
| Energetic | 2.33% | 29.77% | 67.90% |
| Chill | 12.14% | 50.39% | 37.47% |
| Authentically Us | 0.34% | 13.13% | 86.54% |
How are you making your wedding feel more personal to who you are?
- 52.00% - Having a friend / family member marry us
- 31.62% - Making sure our wedding is an inclusive space
- 28.09% - Having a religion-free wedding
- 22.07% - Picking a specific theme that is super “us”
- 21.82% - Catering that suits our likes / dietary preferences
- 21.32% - Choosing vendors & businesses who support our values
- 14.06% - Thrifting or sustainably sourcing our wedding look(s) / elements
- 15.79% - Combining our religions / cultural traditions
- 15.69% - Trying to cut down on waste / be eco-friendly
- 13.32% - Breaking from wedding party gender stereotypes
- 8.43% - Incorporating our children into our celebration
- 5.99% - Wearing non-traditional or unexpected attire
- 4.76% - Dry / alcohol free wedding
- 4.66% - giving back to charity in some way
- 6.94% - None of the above
- 5.07% - Other
On a scale of 1-4, how much do you care about how your wedding looks?
- 61.48% - 3, I know what I want but am flexible on some elements if need be
- 18.36% - 2 , I am highly flexible on most elements
- 17.53% - 4 I have strong opinions about every detail
- 2.61% - 1, I am totally flexible on everything / have no strong opinions
How would you best describe your wedding style?
- 21.91% - Classic
- 13.13% - Garden
- 11.33% - Rustic
- 9.97% - Modern
- 8.23% - Minimalist
- 6.32% - Whimsical
- 4.61% - Beach / Tropical
- 4.49% - Vintage
- 4.09% - Bohemian
- 3.33% - Glamorous
- 2.66% - DIY
- 0.91% - Anti-wedding wedding
- 0.27% - Avant Garde
- 1.65% - Specific theme
- 0.03% - Futuristic
- 7.07% - Other (please specify)
The Latest Wedding Trends
Out with the old, in with the new. The next generation of couples is mixing up their wedding style - embracing multiple outfit changes, mismatched wedding party attire, and diamond alternatives as a way to make the wedding their own. Garter and bouquet tosses and wedding favors, on the other hand, are officially out. AI also officially lands in wedding planning as couples are quick to test this new technology.
Are you using, or considering using, any AI tools to support your wedding planning?
- 45.82% - Not likely, I’m not a big fan
- 36.02% - Unsure, but haven’t ruled it out
- 10.95% - Very likely, it can help tremendously
- 7.22% - Yes! We’re already using at least 1 AI tool
How has or how will AI support your wedding journey? Please select all that apply
- 38.28% - With our wedding website
- 33.97% - Writing thank you notes
- 33.88% - Finding inspiration
- 32.05% - Writing our vows
- 28.66% - Creating schedules or programs
- 25.18% - Writing toasts or speeches
- 20.88% - Planning our honeymoon
- 14.74% - Creating our playlist
- 17.49% - Managing our budget
- 6.59% - Other (please specify)
When it comes to wedding planning, which trends do you feel are very “in” and you love vs. going “out” and you would never have at your own wedding?
| In | Out | |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding Hashtags | 33.47% | 66.53% |
| Hiring a wedding content creator | 22.61% | 77.39% |
| Elaborate wedding exists | 52.47% | 47.53% |
| Long ceremonies | 7.89% | 92.11% |
| First looks | 71.30% | 28.70% |
| Bouquet toss | 31.66% | 68.34% |
| Late night snacks | 84.79% | 15.21% |
| Donut Walls | 27.03% | 72.97% |
| Over-the-top dessert tables | 37.18% | 62.82% |
| Wedding favors | 37.78% | 62.22% |
| Outfit changes | 57.39% | 42.61% |
| Multi-day events | 48.94% | 51.06% |
| Phone-free “unplugged” weddings | 74.78% | 25.22% |
| Signature co*cktails | 84.16% | 15.84% |
| Diamond alternatives and substitutes | 72.03% | 27.97% |
| Film photography | 75.98% | 24.02% |
| Required guest dress code | 45.65% | 54.35% |
| Lace | 55.50% | 44.50% |
| Pearls | 62.62% | 37.38% |
| Family / friend officiants | 86.97% | 13.07% |
| Kid-free weddings | 13.07% | 20.51% |
| Choreographed first dances | 42.06% | 57.94% |
| Garter toss | 12.83% | 87.17% |
| Highly personalized everything | 49.14% | 50.86% |
| Neon signs | 50.91% | 49.09% |
| Mis-matched bridesmaid dresses | 82.95% | 17.05% |
| Wedding party intros/dances | 51.92% | 48.08% |
Relationships Along The Journey
It’s no surprise that couples are there for each other every day along the way.
Who is your rock during the planning process:
- 79.32% - My partner
- 40.71% - myself
- 38.68% - my parents / guardians
- 36.70% - my best friends
- 16.10% - my pet
- 15.62% - my sibling
- 11.11% - my married friends
- 6.08% - my therapist
- 5.76% - other family members
- 4.80% - other engaged couples
- 4.35% - social media
- 3.68% - my coworkers
- 3.58% - my wedding vendors
- 2.33% - religious figure
- 0.83% - my children
- 3.13% - other
Has anybody caused MORE stress or made the planning process more difficult?
- 39.29% - My parents / guardians
- 39.63% - Other family members
- 19.71% - Social media
- 16.60% - My partner
- 15.06% - Myself
- 11.99% - Other (please specify)
- 7.65% - My sibling
- 7.40% - My wedding vendors
- 6.77% - Other engaged couples
- 6.45% - My best friends
- 2.31% - My coworkers
- 2.79% - My married friends
- 1.76% - Religious figure
- 0.50% - My children
- 0.13% - My therapist
- 0.95% - My pet
In choosing a spouse, how important to you is it that you share the same…
| Not important | Somewhat important | Very important | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Values | 0.38% | 6.74% | 92.88% |
| Religion | 36.14% | 34.20% | 29.66% |
| Race | 80.29% | 14.01% | 5.71% |
| Style of upbringing | 24.52% | 52.45% | 23.04% |
| Political views | 13.91% | 46.42% | 39.67% |
| Vision for our family | 1.63% | 10.35% | 88.02% |
| Education level | 27.50% | 47.52% | 24.98% |
| Financial goals | 1.15% | 24.45% | 74.40% |
| Salary range | 34.02% | 52.10% | 13.89% |
| Career goals | 11.19% | 46.22% | 42.58% |
| Sexual compatibility | 2.63% | 24.82% | 72.55% |
Wedding Registry Trends & Gifts
More couples than ever before, 87%, are planning to have cash funds on their registry this year.
Are you planning to have a wedding registry
- 83% - Yes
- 10.33% - No
- 6.67% - Not sure
For couples who are planning to have a registry, are you planning to have any cash funds? More couples than ever before plan to add at least one cash fund to their registry
- 86.62% - yes
- 13.38% - no
What are you using your cash funds for
- 86.77% - Honeymoon / travel
- 37.26% - To purchase a home or move into a new home
- 29.30% - To help us pay for our wedding
- 17.66% - Home renovations / upgrades
- 9.58% - For special date nights
- 6.45% - To pay down other debt
- 4.20% - For our pet or future pet
- 3.94% - To pay for education or pay back student loans
- 2.75% - For family planning (i.e. fertility treatments, adoption, etc.)
- 2.67% - Other
- 2.17% - To fund a hobby
- 1.79% - Charity
The Influence of Influencers and Social Media
Social media is becoming an even more crucial part of the planning process. 90% of couples said that at least one planning platform has been indispensable for them. And while TikTok picks up steam with younger couples, Pinterest remains the #1 way for couples to find their wedding inspo.
Did you make any choices based on something you saw on social media?
- 85.91% - yes
- 14.09% - no
Which influencer / celebrity wedding of 2023 inspired you the MOST?
- 47.95% - Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge
- 9.65% - Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin
- 5.41% - Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens
- The rest got extremely low results
- 31.29% - other
Where are you getting your wedding inspo?
- 77.04% - Pinterest
- 55.89% - My own creativity / vision
- 57.63% - Instagram
- 41.28% - From other weddings I’ve been to
- 38.39% - TikTok
- 28.39% - From Zola
- 24.88% - from my vendors
- 15.08% - Google
- 10.89% - Facebook
- 10.79% - Wedding websites
- 10.12% - From an online community of other engaged couples
- 11.39% - Influencers / celebrities
- 6.98% - Wedding magazines
- 3.01% - YouTube
- 1.52% - Other
Which social media platform is absolutely invaluable / crucial to your wedding planning process
- 47.38% - Pinterest
- 20.07% - Instagram
- 16% - TikTok
- 3.23% - Facebook
- 1.81% - Reddit
- 0.72% - YouTube
- 0.25% - Discord
- 0.15% - X
- 0.12% - Threads
- 10.25% - None, social media didn’t support me in planning
Can you please tell us how you’ve used different social media platforms during the planning process?
| Tiktok | Youtube | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To find wedding hacks | 77.8% | 44.03% | 31.24% | 51.56% | 40.69% |
| For wedding inspo | 77.4% | 79.83% | 37.8% | 97.57% | 39.26% |
| To discover vendors | 17.37% | 53.06% | 41.56% | 15.02% | 12.03% |
| To entertain me | 55.87% | 41.61% | 25.5% | 21.32% | 34.17% |
| To take a planning break | 48.84% | 38.91% | 25.37% | 12.94% | 28.49% |
| To follow other couples | 27.04% | 24.08% | 34.8% | 6.86% | 11.36% |
| Other | 2.37% | 1.81% | 11.61% | 2.396% | 7.52% |
Societal Expectations Around Weddings That Are Due For Change
83% of couples do feel that at least one societal expectation surrounding the wedding journey is due for a change.
Are you experiencing any of the following challenges while wedding planning? Select all that apply
- 44.50% - Family drama
- 29.63% - Pressure to look a certain way
- 20.16% - Grief / loss of a loved one
- 15.55% - Friend drama
- 14.16% - Lack of support from your family
- 7.85% - Lack of support from your partner
- 1.76% - Discrimination / judgment based on sexual orientation
- .90% - Discrimination / judgment based on gender identity
- 6.80% - Discrimination / judgment based on body type
- 4.44% - Discrimination / judgment based on religion
- 3.23% - Discrimination / judgment based on age
- 0.33% - Discrimination / judgment based on disability
- 1.28% - Discrimination / judgment based on a previous marriage
- 25.10% - None of the above
If you could change or update anything about the wedding planning journey, what would you change? (select all that apply)
- 32.90% - Balance / assumptions around wedding planning responsibilities
- 32.09% - Wedding diet culture
- 30.94 - Bride's family paying for the wedding
- 21.54% - Name changing / taking the partner’s last name
- 20.64% - Representation of weddings in media / pop culture
- 17.95% - Being “given away” / walked down the aisle
- 11.26% - Gendered wedding parties
- 10.26% - Sending handwritten thank you notes
- 5.62% - Wearing white
- 5.02% - The proposal process
- 2.68% - The ring
- 5.61% - Other (please specify)
- 17.03% - nothing about the wedding journey needs to change
Can you estimate, on average, how many hours per week you spend planning your wedding?
- 33.94% - Between 1-2 hours
- 33.21% - Between 2-4 hours
- 13.94% - Between 4-6 hours
- 12.06% - Less than 1 hour
- 5.56% - More than six hours
- 1.30% - Other (please specify)
Can you estimate, on average, how much time your PARTNER spends on wedding planning?
- 51.01% - Less than me
- 23.64% - Barely helping with the planning
- 8.20% - Equal to me
- 7.69% - Almost equal to me
- 7.20% - Zero
- 2.26% - More than me
Newlywed Priorities
After the wedding comes… many other huge priorities.
After you’re married, what will be your biggest priority?
- 29.96% - Buying a home
- 18.84% - Starting a family
- 15.02% - Paying off debts (including student loans)
- 10.95% - Nothing - just taking a breather to enjoy married life
- 8.79% - Moving ahead in my / our careers
- 7.11% - Saving for travel
- 3.42% - Moving to another city
- 2.59% - Completing education
- 0.98% - Getting a pet
- 0.86% - Buying a car
- 1.46% - Other (please specify)
