At least 88% of Americans will marry once in their lifetime, although many brides and grooms will agree that their wedding is going to be vastly different than the ones their parents had. One huge difference? The fact that the couple can now research wedding ideas online, share them through social media, and communicate with their friends and family instantaneously when details change.
It comes as no surprise that the wedding planning industry has continued to expand and update in order to meet the demands of their consistently active and mobile clients, as wedding guide checklists have become mobile too. Today’s couples are using smartphones and mobile wedding planning apps to plan all aspects of the wedding, from picking the perfect wedding dress, to hiring a baker, and even designing unique wedding invitations. Planning a wedding can happen anywhere now, and ideas can also be shared with all of your friends and family on social media simultaneously.
Modern brides and grooms on average spend over $28,000 on their wedding day celebrations, although the more shocking statistic is almost half of all marrying couples will spend more on their wedding than they originally anticipated, going beyond their budget. Most modern couples are breaking their budgets on their receptions rather than on their actual wedding ceremony, as just the cost of open bar costs an average of $2,800 for four hours alone. With 2.4 million weddings performed in the U.S. each year on average, proving that the wedding planning business is continuing to stay lucrative.
The modern wedding guide suggests that the wedding ceremony has transcended most traditions and transformed into more of an expression of who the marrying couple really are. For example, only 33% of weddings take place in a religious institution, as spiritual establishments are declining in membership nationwide. Exactly who will be marrying you is also shifting from tradition, as marrying couples desire a more personal relationship with the request of friends and relatives to get ordained for the occasion.
These trends seem a little radical for some couples, and over half of marrying couples still choose to read traditional wedding vows. Customized vows written by the bride and groom allow them the chance to express themselves and their love, while still remaining dedicated to older wedding customs. Another surprising factor is that a majority of modern brides still incorporate something old, new, borrowed and blue into their wardrobe for their wedding day, suggesting that belief in traditional wedding superstitions is still very relevant in modern weddings.