Newly Weds Reveal What They Would Change About Their Wedding
Weddings are famously one of the happiest times of a person’s life, with around 243,000 couples tying the knot annually in the UK. Despite this, weddings can bring with them periods of stress and uncertainty, from making sure the cars arrive on time, to picking out the perfect dress.
Image Photo by Leonardo Miranda on Unsplash
The cost of weddings is also growing, as the average UK wedding now costs over £20,000, and the average guest list is now 89, up from around 80-81 in 2022/23.
To understand the modern wedding landscape, the team at greetings card marketplace thortful has surveyed Brits who got married in the last 10 years to uncover the key stress points, guest priorities and what they would change if they were to re-do the wedding, to advise couples on planning.
Wedding planners Siobhan Craven Robbins and Andri Benson have also offered their expert guidance on how to take the stress out of planning the perfect wedding.
What Do Brits Regret The Most About Their Wedding?
Almost a third (31%) said letting other people influence the event too much had a heavy impact, whilst 37% claimed that spending too much time worrying, rather than enjoying the day, took over their emotions. Couples should focus on themselves, their happiness and the attributes that will make their day theirs.
Other regrets include:
- Overspending (28%)
- Choosing the wrong photographer / videographer (20%)
- Choosing the wrong vendors (15%)
- Not having a wedding planner (11%)
- Wearing the wrong clothes (9%)
What Would Brits Change If They Were To Have Their Wedding Again?
Sharing the special day differently is at the core of the changes, with 45% wishing they had a wedding 'content creator' and 40% regretting they didn't use a vintage camera for videography. Other changes include:
- Having a micro-wedding to save money (30%)
- Live wedding painters (28%)
- Mixed stag and hen dos – 'sten do' (19%)
- Gender non-conforming outfits (18%)
What Do Brits Find Most Stressful About Weddings?
The biggest pressure point for most couples is the pursuit of perfection, according to thortful’s survey. Almost half of couples (49%) said “making sure it was perfect” was their top stressor, yet more than a third (37%) later regretted spending so much time worrying.
Guest-related pressures were another common stressor. Nearly a third (30%) found guest list decisions stressful, as it can be difficult to balance couples own visions of their perfect day and trying to keep other people happy. This can lead to hindsight regrets, echoed by 31% wishing they hadn’t let others influence their plans.
Couples’ other top wedding stressors include:
- 48% of people admitted budget management caused them the most stress.
- 45% agreed that their wedding outfit created stress.
- 45% also agreed that sourcing the right entertainment created stress for them.
Despite weddings being one of the biggest celebrations of our lives, navigating so many different elements can cause areas of tension.
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How To Reduce Wedding Stress
To understand some of the simplest ways to alleviate stress from the wedding planning process, two experts offered their top tips to help streamline the wedding planning process.
Keeping Guest Numbers Sensible
Siobhan Craven Robbin, an award-winning, London-based wedding planner, offered her insight into how to take the stress out of wedding planning: “I think the most important thing is to only invite people you want to be there. You should feel no obligation to invite guests that you either don't like or are indifferent to. It can really overshadow the day's dynamic.”
Siobhan also expanded saying: “It's also important to look at your budget ahead of committing to anything to ensure you have the funds to pay for the wedding you want. If you don't have it, delay the wedding. It is incredibly stressful to feel the pressure of bills coming in that you are struggling to pay (and also not fair on the suppliers).”
Share The Workload
Andri Benson, who has over a decade working within the wedding industry commented: "A wedding is essentially a big production, so it’s no wonder couples feel stressed trying to manage it all. The key is to share the load. Whether that’s hiring a planner to oversee the planning and/or the wedding day, delegating tasks to trusted friends, or simply giving yourselves permission to let go of the things that aren’t important, you don’t have to carry it all yourself. Building in breathing space, time to enjoy the lead-up and the day itself, is just as important as the logistics."
A spokesperson from thortful comments: “It's easy to get caught up in the pressure to please everyone, but the truth is, the day is about celebrating love and creating memories. Instead of focusing on the stress of perfection, couples should embrace the joy of the moment. The details will come together, and the most important thing is to enjoy the experience with the people who matter most. After all, it's the memories you create, not the small details, that will last forever."
• For more information about thortful and their offering of wedding card products, visit thortful.com/cards/wedding
• For more information about Siobhan Craven Robbins, visit Siobhan Craven Robbins
• For more information about Andri Benson, visit Andri Benson
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