Wedding Industry Statistics By Facts, Market Size, Average Cost, Age Race And Popular Area

Saisuman Revankar
Written by
Saisuman Revankar

Updated · Sep 06, 2024

Aruna Madrekar
Edited by
Aruna Madrekar

Editor

Wedding Industry Statistics By Facts, Market Size, Average Cost, Age Race And Popular Area

Introduction

Wedding Industry Statistics: This market for weddings is really important to the economy because of its many forms of products, services, and celebrations, from venues to catering to wedding attire and photography. For the industry, which makes billions of dollars, weddings are not only moments with personal significance, but they also serve as important economic occasions that contribute to expenses within different connected sectors. After years of setbacks resulting from a pandemic, in 2023, the international wedding industry statistics began seeing a revival again.

Furthermore, technology has made it possible to learn more about a spouse before the wedding. In India, traditions such as taking oaths, involvement of families, and other cultural beliefs are adhered to more closely than in most parts of the world. On top of this, new trends like destination weddings or personalized experiences, as well as digital innovations, will further boost this sector’s growth by 2024 due to young couples’ desire to celebrate their unions flamboyantly.

Editor’s Choice

  • With over nine weddings per 1,000 people, West Bank & Gaza, Fiji, Egypt, the Bahamas, and Uzbekistan are among the countries with the highest annual wedding rates worldwide.
  • The highest wedding rates were recorded in West Bank & Gaza, which had ten weddings per 1,000 persons in 2018. By contrast, Qatar, French Guiana, and Peru have the lowest number of registered weddings.
  • 80% of couples like to have their weddings at random places.
  • The global market for bridal gowns was worth $43.5 billion in 2022.
  • 65% of couples are likelier to get hitched during summer or autumn.
  • A destination wedding accounts for one out of every four weddings.
  • On average, it costs $225 per person to plan a destination wedding.
  • There were 6.77 billion individuals living in nations devoid of same-sex unions as of 2022.
  • In America, about 5,000 weddings were occurring daily by 2021, resulting in one million nine hundred thirty-four thousand nine hundred eighty-two ceremonies that took place that year as a whole.
  • For destination weddings, hotels provide an average of 22% discount for groups.
  • By 2031, it is expected that the worldwide wedding industry statistics will be worth $291 billion.
  • By 2022, same-sex weddings had been legally recognized either on the national level or in specific regions of 31 countries.
  • In 2020, Costa Rica became the last country to permit same-sex matrimony.
  • Polygamy is a social practice characterized by a man having two or more wives that are allowed in 58 states mainly found between Africa and its neighboring regions like the Middle East or South Asia.
  • Rarely females practice polygamous weddings (marrying several husbands); most religious beliefs normally reject them.
  • Around 2% of people are involved in such weddings worldwide.
  • In 2019, West Africa had the highest prevalence rates for polygamous unions, with Burkina Faso (36%) and Mali (34%) leading as reported then.

Key Facts About The Wedding Industry

  • In the year 2022, the matrimony market in India was valued at $0.26 billion.
  • According to the Wedding Industry statistics, men fall in love more quickly than women, with a percentage of 48% compared to 28%, respectively.
  • Besides, families spent an average of 34000 dollars on weddings, including the reception ceremony and engagement rings.
  • Fourteen wedding professionals are mostly hired by couples intending to marry so as to help them prepare and arrange their weddings.
  • Furthermore, couples who got engaged in 2021 have already set dates for their weddings, which will occur between January and December 2022.
  • Consequently, 98% of people who set wedding dates for this year predict that the wedding will happen successfully.
  • The global wedding industry is looking for an increase in size from $291 billion by 2031.
  • In the US alone, 2.6 million weddings were expected in the year 2021.
  • In 2021, the U.S. saw an average of 5,000 weddings per day, totaling 1,934,982 weddings for the year.
  • In 2022, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. was $27,100.
  • 72% of brides wished they had spent more time choosing budget-friendly entertainment.
  • The global bridal gown market was valued at $43.5 billion in 2022.
  • The wedding market generated $57.9 billion in revenue in 2022, according to Wedding Industry statistics.
  • 25% of all weddings in the world take place in the U.S.A.
  • Wedding industry statistics show that half of the engaged couples in the UK stated that budgeting was their major challenge in 2021.
  • Newlyweds in 2022 had an average of 43 people invited for their engagement and wedding parties.
  • One out of every four weddings is a destination one.
  • Wedding planners assist with planning for 50% of all weddings.
  • For destination weddings, hotels provide an average discount of 22% on group bookings.
  • The normal number of guests at traditional weddings is about 141, while the average guest count at destination weddings is around 86.
  • Second weddings often include a choice of destination weddings.
  • 59% of men indicated they did not wed due to financial worries in the year 2022.
  • The total valuation for the global wedding market was 21.43 billion dollars, as per 2022 statistics.
  • Unions where couples spend below $10,000 during their nuptials have lower divorce likelihoods.
  • There is one married individual among every thousand individuals globally.
  • Two-thirds (66%) of millennials will begin planning their weddings before getting engaged.
  • 44% write personal vows during their wedding ceremony, which explains why 67% choose an inspirational wedding theme.
  • In fact, approximately 60% of all couples marry people who come from diverse backgrounds.
  • 35% had pets prior to tying the knot.

Countries Spending On Weddings

countries-spending-the-most-on-weddings-as-of-2019

(Reference: statista.com)

  • Couples in the USA spend the most on weddings. The average cost of a wedding in America in 2019 was 29.2 thousand dollars.
  • Spain’s average cost per wedding was 23.4 thousand dollars, while Italy’s was 22.5 thousand dollars.
  • The results are based on interviews with couples from 14 countries around the world.

Size Of The Wedding Market Worldwide

size-of-the-destination-wedding-market-worldwide-in-2022-with-a-forecast-for-2023-and-2033

(Reference: statista.com)

  • Wedding industry statistics show that the global wedding market is projected to grow enormously from 2022 to 2023.
  • The worth of the market in 2022 was approximately $26.8 billion.
  • This number was expected to rise beyond $30 billion by 2023 and reach nearly $103.5 billion by 2033.
  • Such rapid growth indicates an upward trend in terms of both popularity and expenditure on destination weddings over the following ten years.

Average Costs For A Wedding In The United States

average-costs-for-a-wedding-in-the-united-states-as-of-2023-by-item

(Reference: statista.com)

  • By the year 2023, the majority of the wedding reception halls in the US would have been approximated to cost around twelve thousand eight hundred dollars.
  • These are some of the factors that make couples in the US think twice about how much they want their wedding to cost.
  • A live reception band costs an average of about four thousand three hundred dollars.
  • A wedding photographer costs an average of roughly two thousand nine hundred dollars.
  • This is besides expenses like the purchase price of wedding rings.

Wedding Cost In Italy

marriage-rate-in-italy-from-2002-to-2023

(Reference: statista.com)

  • Fewer Italians marry each year. About 3.1 people per 1,000 married in 2023, one less than in 2008.
  • The wedding rate dropped significantly to 1.6 per 1,000 people in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that this country had the highest wedding rates in that year, at 3.7 couples per 1,000 inhabitants, according to Sicily.
  • The Italians have been delaying weddings; in fact, the average age at which a bride married herself was 26.8 years during the 1990s, but by 2017, it had increased to around 31 years.
  • At the same time, there is a consistent rise in the ages of giving birth among mothers; for instance, the average mother had her first child at age 32-4 years while back then (even ten years ago), she would have done this two years earlier on average.
  • Notably, many Italians report that they are not able to meet “the right person” as their main reason for never marrying.
  • Other findings revealed that about 17% of partners living together don’t believe much about getting married, while about one-fourth say they have never felt that urge.

Average Cost Of Wedding By Countries

average-cost-of-wedding-in-2023-in-selected-countries

(Reference: statista.com)

  • The costs of weddings in the United States averaged $35,000, which means approximately $300 per guest in 2023. This did not include jewelry, engagement rings, or a honeymoon.
  • The costs of weddings in other nations were as follows:
  • United Kingdom: $28,500 or $320 per guest;
  • Spain: $25,700 or $210 per guest;
  • Italy: $23,900 or $220 per guest;
  • France: $21,800 or $220 per guest.
  • Wedding industry statistics show that the average Indian middle-class couple spent around $25,000, with around 15% spending more than $45,000.
  • In India, a typical middle-class household makes between $7,000 and $40,000 annually.
  • Among the fifteen countries studied, India had the highest average guest list size of three hundred twenty-six guests, while other nations had:
  • United States with 146 guests;
  • Uruguay with 129 guests;
  • Brazil with 124 guests;
  • Spain with 121 guests.

Countries Support Same-Sex Wedding

share-of-respondents-in-selected-countries-who-said-that-same-sex-couples-should-have-the-following-rights-in

(Source: statista.com)

  • Wedding industry statistics show that Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium emerge among other top supporters of rights for same-sex couples. Surprisingly, Spain and Italy in Southern Europe topped many Western European countries in terms of support. In these five nations, support for same-sex weddings or any other kind of legal recognition varied between 83% and 89%, the highest in the survey.
  • Indeed, while support for gay weddings was higher in the UK and Germany at 68% each compared to Italy’s 63%, when those who favored legal unions were included, Italy had a higher total support level at 20%.
  • At that time, the United States recorded about 60% level of acceptance for gay weddings, while the acceptance level for civil unions stood at only 13%.
  • This figure was lower than that obtained from Mexico and Canada but slightly above those found in Brazil, Colombia, and Eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary.
  • India also showed approximately 60% acceptance rates for same-sex weddings and lawful unions, surpassing South Korea’s 54% rate.
  • Almost 70% of Japanese support was shown for same-sex weddings, with 29% backing legal unions and 40% for marital rights.
  • However, some Japanese respondents couldn’t decide on pair’s rights when it comes to living as gay couples, about 25%. Support varied greatly among countries; while Russia had just about 29% of its people supporting such weddings, Malaysia had an even lower figure at a mere 16%.

Wedding Industry Statistics By Age

  • Wedding industry statistics reveal that in the Southwest and West, individuals usually tie the knot when they are 32 years old (in the case of women) or 33 years old (in the case of men), and these average ages are 32 for females and 33 for males across both regions.
  • On the other hand, women marry at an average age of 31 while men do so at an average of 33 in the Midwest region, which makes their overall mean 32.
  • In the South and Southeast region, women have been observed to marry when they are 33 years old, while men marry when they are 34, thus making this area’s mean age 33 decades.
  • In the Northeast U.S.A., women marry at 33 years old, while their counterparts follow them by one year, making their age 34.
  • The Mid‐Atlantic region has ages of 33 for both sexes, with males marrying at age five years more than that of females’ age.

Wedding Planner Statistics By Race

wedding-planner-statistics-by-race

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

  • Globally, 65.7% of wedding planners belong to a white race.
  • Hispanic or Latino wedding planners make up around 2%. African American or Black wedding planners account for about 9.4%, and Asian wedding planners represent 5.8%.
  • Alaska Natives and American Indians comprise approximately 0.2%, while 2.7% of wedding planners did not want to tell their ethnicities.

Popular Area For Weddings

Most-popular-area-for-wedding-in-2023

(Source: reekaevents.com)

  • Many couples find it necessary to have their choice of wedding venue close to home, with 52% saying so.
  • As much as 65% of participants expressed their appreciation for the use of virtual tours for weddings; they agreed that nothing beats going to the actual site.
  • 62 % of couples also believe that dressing rooms should be part of a wedding, which is very important.
  • According to wedding industry statistics, Kent is the top-searched wedding venue location in the UK.
  • 73% of couples prefer email rather than face-to-face or telephone calls when dealing with their wedding venues.
  • In Herefordshire, Brinsop Court is the most preferred wedding location throughout Britain.
  • Approximately one-third of all weddings in England take place within this southern region.

Future Outlook

  • The wedding industry is expected to be on the rise in 2024 due to consumers’ demand for individualized and unforgettable moments.
  • According to wedding industry statistics, the global market’s total worth is estimated at US$315 billion, with destination weddings, online planning aids, and luxury services driving its expansion.
  • Since couples are increasingly focused on experience rather than traditions, their expenditure patterns will likely change more.
  • Therefore, vendors who provide customized services and adopt technology will stand a better chance of profiting from an expanding sector.

Conclusion

To conclude, the wedding industry is on a steady growth trajectory in 2023 and 2024 as consumer spending continues to rise across different categories. With a global market value that may exceed US$ 315 billion by 2024, it is still one of the job creation engines.

There are many ways in which the wedding industry statistics have been adapting to changing customer preferences over time: destination weddings, luxury service providers or digital planning tools, for example, are its future avenues for success. During the lockdown period, this sector went through an unimaginable transformation due to technology that connected people with their potential families even if they lived on different continents.

In fact, during this period, digital weddings emerged through platforms such as Zoom, where millions were exchanged, making it a unique form of wedding and making today’s nuptials better than ever before in history.

FAQ.

What would be some of the significant trends in the wedding industry for 2024?

The wedding industry is expected to grow enormously in 2024, driven by the increased need for customised and unforgettable experiences. The worldwide market is foreseen to attain about $315 billion, with emphasis on destination weddings, online planning tools, and luxurious services, among other things.

What impact did COVID-19 have on the wedding industry?

The COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic changes in the way things were done within a short time, thus causing people to rush towards technology as part of their lives. For instance, virtual weddings became common among couples who utilised Zoom, among other similar platforms, to perform their ceremonies.

What is the typical cost of a wedding in the USA?

The normal expenses incurred during averagely held US weddings stood at approximately $35,000 in the year 2023.

Which countries have the highest and lowest wedding rates?

In 2023, countries with the highest wedding rates included West Bank & Gaza, Fiji, Egypt, the Bahamas, and Uzbekistan, with West Bank & Gaza leading at ten weddings per 1,000 people. Conversely, countries like Qatar, French Guiana, and Peru reported the lowest wedding rates.

How do wedding expenses vary by country?

Wedding costs vary significantly by country. In 2019, the average wedding cost in the United States was $29,200, while Spain and Italy had averages of $23,400 and $22,500, respectively. In India, middle-class couples spent about $25,000 on average, with some spending more than $45,000.

Saisuman Revankar
Saisuman Revankar

Saisuman is a professional content writer specializing in health, law, and space-related articles. Her experience includes designing featured articles for websites and newsletters, as well as conducting detailed research for medical professionals and researchers. Passionate about languages since childhood, Saisuman can read, write, and speak in five different languages. Her love for languages and reading inspired her to pursue a career in writing. Saisuman holds a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has worked in a Human Resources firm for a year. She was previously associated with a French international company. In addition to writing, Saisuman enjoys traveling and singing classical songs in her leisure time.

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