Introducing the 5th annual 2021 UK Wedding Report by Bridebook.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE 2021 UK WEDDING REPORT
Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, a wedding boom is coming! It’s been a tough year for the wedding industry and the many postponing couples, but we can see a bright spot on the horizon as vaccine rollout expands and restrictions are lifted to allow weddings to take place safely.
We surveyed nearly 5,000 couples and felt the optimism and excitement they have looking forward to their upcoming weddings. While those who married in 2020 experienced drops in guest numbers and wedding spending, engaged couples’ plans haven’t been affected to the same scale.
Budgets are strong, and expectations are high among engaged couples for celebrations and vaccines. They look forward to celebrating on any day of the week that they can – and sometimes twice!
- 82% couples with 15 or less guests will celebrate twice
- 52% of guests believed to have received a COVID-19 jab by Sept ‘21
- 40% Engaged couples’ costs increased due to COVID-19, by nearly £2,000
- 17% postponed couples will marry on a Friday
As we’ve seen from weddings that took place in 2020, couples are happy to incorporate safety measures and technology into their weddings wherever necessary, and these restrictions are not a barrier to wed.
- 83% Weddings had social-distancing measures in place
- 64% Weddings didn’t allow dancing (46% had no music at all)
- 55% Weddings in Q4 2020 were live-streamed
- 17% Wedding couples wore masks at their wedding (73% of guests)
With so much of the nation’s time spent at home this year, we also see the prominent role that technology plays in the lives of today’s millennial couples during wedding planning. This generation of couples does everything on their phones, and wedding planning is no exception. They expect information instantly at their fingertips, they rely on social proof, and are incorporating technology into both the planning process and the actual weddings themselves. Going forward, we should prepare for more of planning to move digitally.
- 5 Hours per day looking at their phones
- 42.4 Venue reviews read by venue-seeking couples
- 63% Wedding planning is done via their phone
- 43% Married couples used a digital playlist at their wedding ceremony
- 23% Couples sent digital wedding invitations
Over the course of the next few months, we will start to see a new beginning for weddings. While these weddings will face restrictions in the near term and our industry will need to adjust to accommodate the ever-changing situation, we can take the lead from these positive-thinking couples and know that wedding celebrations WILL return and that recovery is near.
Bridebook is here to support the engaged couples who are working through their wedding checklists and looking for venues and professionals to make the day unforgettable. We’re also here to help married couples give back with reviews on the businesses that helped make their day a success. Finally, we’re here for the many businesses who have struggled this year, and need to connect with couples and industry members for business support and growth.
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Bridebook is the heart of weddings, and we’re here for you.
Further reading for couples:
- 7 At-Home Date Ideas
- How to plan your wedding remotely
- Covid 19 Wedding Advice For Couples
- Beautiful Barn Wedding Venues in the UK
- Top Rustic Wedding Venues in the UK
Further reading for businesses:
If you have any questions at all or need any help then please do reach out to anyone in the Bridebook team.