Whether you’ve been dreaming of a white wedding since childhood or, quite frankly, see your big day simply as one huge party with your nearest and dearest, getting married is still one of life’s biggest events.
Over 2 million couples got married in the US in 20241, so we’re keen to know how much tradition still plays a part in the occasion, and whether attitudes towards jewelry, overall budget and even food have changed over the decades.
Natural diamond jewelry reigns supreme !
All weddings begin with a proposal, at the heart of which is usually an engagement ring. Choosing said ring shouldn’t be taken lightly and for those looking for tips on this topic, listen closely: an engagement ring should not only suit its receiver in terms of style, color and size, but represent commitment and ever-lasting love.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that over half of couples in the US (55%) have natural diamonds featured in their wedding jewelry (which includes engagement rings and wedding bands), with an almost equal split across both genders.
While more than half of women have natural diamonds in their wedding jewelry (55%), more than half of men do (52%), too.
Created billions of years ago deep within the Earth, natural diamonds for centuries have symbolized enduring love and an unbreakable bond.
While younger generations often like to shake things up and deviate from past traditions, plenty of Millennial couples (48%) and Gen Z couples (38%) opted for natural diamonds, too. Yes, a natural diamond engagement ring or matching wedding day set is a classic choice but they’re still incredibly popular, likely because natural diamonds are truly timeless.
Other popular engagement and wedding gems among couples in the US include sapphire (15%), ruby (13%), emerald (13%) and opals (7%).
Round-cut is the shape that never goes out of style
When it comes to shape, round-cut (also known as round brilliant cut) gems come out on top overall, with one in four US couples having picked the circular cut for their wedding jewelry. The round cut was particularly popular with couples who’ve been married for a decade or more, with 35% of that demographic favoring the cut for their nuptial pieces.
The princess cut came in second with 22% of US couples choosing it, while emerald (11%); marquise, an elongated, oval-shaped (8%); and pear (6%) followed behind.
Regarding geographic preference when it comes to gemstone cut, round came out on top in the Midwest, Northeast and West, while in the South round and princess were joint favorites.
Friends and family (and Pinterest!) are a big influence
Collating ideas and gathering tips for the big day is a fun and integral part of wedding planning. And in a world of social media, brimming with near endless style, decoration, venue and design tips, we were intrigued to know whether the source of inspiration had changed for couples over the years, from good old-fashioned print magazines to strictly online scrolling.
Interestingly, seeking ideas and advice from family and friends came out on top, with nearly half of US couples (40%), whether newlyweds or in longer term marriages, saying this was a key source of inspiration for their wedding.
Following that, couples said sources of inspiration included websites and blogs (27%), magazines (23%), Instagram (22%), Pinterest (22%), Facebook (21%) and TikTok (17%), while 13% of couples said that seeing photos and hearing details of celebrity weddings inspired their own choices.
We were shocked that this was a trend among Gen Z couples specifically, too. 41% said they preferred to get wedding inspiration from family and friends rather than from social media – only 33% of Gen Z couples in the US said they looked to Instagram and TikTok for wedding ideas, and Facebook even less (21%).
Less surprising was the trend among older, long-term couples of print magazines (28%) and books (9%) being more popular sources of inspiration compared to websites (only 16% said they referred to them), while social media isn’t even mentioned!
When it comes to gender splits, it seems that most men (47%) looked to family and friends for inspiration for their big day, which is significantly higher than women (34%). Women, it seems, love Pinterest, with just over a quarter of them (26%) using the visual platform as a place to seek out and create mood boards of wedding ideas, styles, tips and hacks. Pinterest doesn’t appear in the top inspiration sources for men.
Are vows still important? Yes, but with a personal touch…
From choosing the vows to picking a first dance song (and then booking some dance lessons, perhaps?!) all the way to remembering something old and something new before walking down the aisle, there are so many rituals and practices related to a wedding – and that’s just the traditional all-American wedding, for starters. So, how popular are they today?
Over half of US couples (56%) said that exchanging vows and/or rings was an important wedding tradition, with cutting the cake and the newlyweds’ first dance ranking just behind.
Among older, longer-married couples, 42% saw the bouquet toss as important, whereas only 35% of couples overall thought it was important, and 41% highly valued the “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” tradition, which was deemed a lot less important among younger generations. Only a quarter of Millennials and 16% of Gen Z couples placed any importance on the well-known rhyme on their wedding day.
When it comes to vows, personalized words are more popular among couples from younger generations: 45% of Gen Z and Millennial US couples had self-written vows instead of traditional vows on their big day.
Conversely, over half of US couples who’ve been married for 16 years or more (55%) said they had traditional vows, suggesting that older generations likely took a more conventional route.
“I sung a love song” and “[we had] both traditional and our own [vows]” were some of the comments surveyed couples said in relation to their vows.
When it comes to traditions that might be dying out, one in four US couples deemed the speeches as less important, while 17% said the lighting of the unity candle (when the couple light a large candle using two smaller candles to signify the merge of their lives into one).
One modern tradition that seems increasingly less popular is the ‘first look’, which is when the bride and groom meet privately ahead of the ceremony to see each other in their wedding outfits before anyone else. 18% of US couples said this was the least important wedding tradition.
Burgers and fries will (probably) be on the menu !
Food at a wedding is more than just a meal, it’s a way to show love and hospitality to your guests. It keeps the party energized, the conversation flowing and the dance floor full. A great menu gives everyone something to rave about long after the cake’s been cut, and let’s be honest, people are more likely to remember the food that your vows!
Keeping things patriotic, one in three couples in the US served North American food (we’re talking burgers, fries and mashed potatoes) at their wedding, while one in five served Italian. 14% of couples served Mexican cuisine.
Interestingly, almost a third of couples over the age of 55 reported not serving any food at their weddings.
Pink and blue color schemes are on the rise
While some couples might be happy to mix and match, a color scheme can be the secret ingredient that ties your whole wedding together. It can set the mood, whether you’re going for fairy-tale romance (think pale pinks and baby blues) or disco glam (hello, gold or silver sequins!) plus it helps your guests know what to wear and prevents any palette clashes come photo time.
Among couples in the US, 43% went with a classic white and/or ivory color scheme, while 22% chose blue, 16% pink and 14% lavender. Interestingly, almost a fifth of US couples (19%) dared to be bold and opted for a black color scheme, which shuns tradition but guarantees a super-chic wedding party, that’s for sure.
Less widely picked colors include navy (8%), peach (8%), blush (7%), orange (6%), mauve (5%) and rainbow (4%). 12% of couples in the US were clearly very relaxed and didn’t have a colour scheme at all!
Saving for the big day is taking longer
There’s no getting around it: weddings are expensive2, especially if you’re hoping to hire a venue, invite lots of guests, feed and water them, and then ensure a photographer is there to capture it all – and we’ve not even mentioned the luxury honeymoon yet…
With that and the cost of pretty much everything on the rise3, too, it’d be understandable if couples were starting to spend less on their wedding or at least look for alternative ways to fund it, like asking family members for help or taking out bank loans.
When we asked about saving for their wedding, on average it takes couples in the US one to two years to have enough money for their big day.
When broken down into generations, it took most Gen Z couples three to five years to save for their wedding, Millennial couples one to two years, and Gen X and Boomers less than a year to save for theirs.
For couples that received some financial towards their wedding, a whopping 68% were given money from parents. Contributions from other family members, friends and the bridal party or groomsmen also ranked, while 14% of couples said they used a credit card and 9% took out a bank loan.
The number one cost of a wedding actually arises well before the big day itself. Ranked as the biggest expense was rings, which includes engagement rings and wedding bands. As these are a life-long symbol of union and commitment (that last way beyond the last slice of wedding cake!), it’s no wonder that couples are keen to splash out on meaningful and often bespoke rings.
The aforementioned honeymoon is next on the list, with couples happy to spend more on their first holiday as newlyweds than their wedding venue, catering and bridal attire. Other big wedding expenses continue to be photography and videography, flowers and entertainment.
Worry less about the guest list!
Weddings can be stressful because they come with sky-high expectations; everyone wants the “perfect” day, and in today’s social media age, there can be a lot of pressure to make everything picture-perfect, too. There are a million details to juggle, from seating charts and last-minute weather changes to family dynamics and budget sheets, so it’s no wonder that tension builds and things can feel overwhelming.
It’s months, sometimes years, of planning for an event that’s over in a day, which is a fact that some couples only realize in hindsight. Lots of couples often wish they had stressed less at the time and only have a clear perspective of what really mattered post-wedding.
When we asked couples in the US what things they wish they’d stressed less about when planning their wedding, 16% said family expectations, 14% said the weather, 14% said staying in budget and 13% said last-minute changes or surprises.
Also on the list of regretful stresses was the guest list, choosing wedding outfits, pleasing the in-laws and choosing the wedding venue.
Having spent the longest to save, 42% of Gen Z couples said they wished they’d worried less about budgets (both managing it and keeping within it), whereas one in five people-pleasing Millennial couples wished they’d worried less about family expectations or involvement.
At the other, very chilled end of the spectrum, a fifth of US couples said they didn’t stress or worry about their wedding at all. Lucky them!
