We have a confession to make, Fairies. We have been sitting on the results from our annual ‘The Average Cost of A Wedding’ survey for over a month now, wondering when was a good time to release them. And we’re sure you know why; Coronavirus (COVID-19) has hit our industry hard and fast. Couples have been thrown into a tailspin of daily legislative changes, which has made it incredibly difficult to STICK TO THE PLAN (that’s us, releasing a little frustration on your behalf). 

So, in reflection of 2019, and people’s spending patterns and behaviours, we understand 2020 will be different. But love doesn’t change. We know couples want to get married now more than ever before (Murphy’s law, you know) and so this industry will continue evolving, creating and growing its offerings suitable to what our couples are after. And of course, here at Wedded Wonderland we will continue our work in guiding both couples and businesses to connect, communicate and inspire.

Where We Were & Where We’re Going

Here are our findings for 2020, and a reflection of what we can expect moving forward.

View the 2018 and 2019 results for comparison. 

Additionally…

This is a reflection of above results as well as what’s to come:

• The average number of guests is 178
• The average number of Bridesmaids/Groomsmen is 3.7 (4) 
• The average engagement duration is 13.5 months
• 22% of couples are using Uber or driving themselves to their wedding
• 30% of Bridesmaids are buying their own dresses
• 32% of Groomsmen are buying their own suits
• Most common number of people in the Bridal party: 4
• Wishing well and monetary/gift registry gifts are becoming more popular 
• Couples are asking for more help from their parents

Now, we know what you must be thinking, Fairies. Some of you are shocked: “Um, only $461 on Makeup?”, while others might be overwhelmed: “Wow – $6864 on a Wedding Dress? That’s extreme.” It is important to understand that ‘average’ means that there are skews of data on opposite ends of spend. All Fairies have different budgets – this is simply the medium!

Impact of Coronavirus

• Weddings will be postponed into the latter half of 2020 and the beginning of 2021
• The digital invitation trend will rise, as a cost-cutting solution
• Décor/styling will be more refined, as a result of budgeting
• There will be a higher demand for rescheduled dates, particularly for the Photography & Videography fields

Our Director’s Observations

1. The average spend on Wedding dresses is not reflective of what Brides are spending. We saw a majority of spend in the 1-6k bracket, then upwards of 10k (reflective of couture Wedding tastes). We will find that, post Coronavirus (COVID-19), this trend will remain relatively the same. We know the wedding dress is a big element of a Wedding, however we may find second and third looks dwindle as budgets become tighter and more considered.
2. Many postponed weddings are being forwarded within the same year. Mid-2020 weddings are being postponed to the latter half of 2020, while a significant amount is also postponing into the early part of 2021. The most popular switches include May 2020 to October 2020, with a few fitting into September, November and December of 2020. An increasing amount of couples that had originally planned for their weddings to take place in July and August of 2020, are keeping the same date and moving it forward into 2021. For now, it appears that the end of 2020 and beginning to middle of 2021, is going to be a race for dates.
3. Pre-Coronavirus (COVID-19) there was a huge demand for destination weddings, as well as local destination weddings. Our Director, Wendy-El-Khoury, says that post-Coronavirus (COVID-19), we can only assume local destination wedding demands will rise. Postponements of international weddings may be taking place locally, as couples will want to take their family away for a local holiday and celebration!
4. The engagement ring has, and always will be, a focal point. This has increased considerably year-on-year, you can thank #RingSelfie and #Instagram for that. Moving forward we will find couples looking for more considered payment plans when it comes to the engagement ring purchase. 
5. Although not mentioned here, we will see a rise of elopements in 2020, and look forward to reflecting on these numbers in 2021.
6. Generally, as observed by our Director Wendy El-Khoury, our couples will become even savvier in negotiating deals for their big day. The industry will also become more agile and dynamic in its offering, knowing an evolution of celebrations and demands for Weddings is upon us.

Digital Content Coordinator: Zoe Kanlis

Featured Image: Image Haus Weddings