With October being the most popular month for weddings, couples are in the throes of wedding planning. Knowing there’s a hotel for every type of wedding event, whether it be bachelor/bachelorette parties, showers, weddings or honeymoons, Marriott Bonvoy conducted a consumer survey in partnership with Wakefield Research among 500 U.S. adults engaged to be married. The survey identified top wedding trends, priorities, and experiences when it comes to planning your happily ever after.
The survey revealed the following:
While older generations are focusing on tastefully simpler affairs, nearly two in five Gen Z (37 percent) and Millennials (36 percent) are jumping on the maximalist wedding trend of “more is more” and investing heavily in the personal details for their special day. One in five (20 percent) maximalist couples additionally report that they’re going to have gourmet food that reflects their dietary choices, while 32 percent want it to be a focal point of the day. Compare this to just 8 percent and 19 percent, respectively, for the “tastefully simple crowd,” or those who have a “less is more” mentality when it comes to the details of the wedding.
Brides and grooms may have envisioned their wedding for years, but so have their parents, siblings and others. In fact, while 54 percent of engaged people have must-haves on their own lists, more than three in five (65 percent) have someone other than themselves or their partner with non-negotiables. This includes more than a quarter of engaged people (28 percent) who have parents with must-haves for the celebration, and 25 percent have future in-laws with the same. Similarly, weddings are not solely the responsibility of brides and grooms, and parents may feel they have a say in the festivities, despite leading to potential conflict. Just a third (33 percent) of engaged people have disagreements with their partner over the wedding budget several times a month or more, but 45 percent of those whose parents have imposed must-have items have the same number of arguments.
Sustainable weddings aren’t just a trend, either. In fact, more than 93 percent engaged people plan to include a sustainable element into their wedding, including seasonal or locally grown flowers (62 percent), digital invitations (53 percent) or donating excess food and decorations to nearby pantries (49 percent).
Marriott Bonvoy offers more than 30 hotel brands for wedding festivities, ranging from luxury to premium to select and more, with expert professionals who are dedicated to getting every detail right.
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