20182018 Newlywed Report Lenaig Delisle Photo 1 4 ENGAGEMENT INTRODUCTION Planning the Proposal Purchasing the Ring No two weddings are alike, which is what keeps the wedding industry so fascinating Popular Dates to Pop the Question year after year. From celebratory hashtags and social media announcements (86 percent of couples do this), to mixed-gender wedding parties and the inclusion of Sharing the News local food, it’s no surprise that personalization is the one constant theme. In this Average Engagement Length year’s Newlywed Report, you’ll notice a continued shift in the traditional wedding Most Popular Wedding Dates season (hint: it’s moved from summer to fall!) and how couples are relying on technology from the engagement through their wedding day. Planning is also starting earlier than ever before, as you’ll see three-in-four Millennials are starting to do so before they even get engaged. 8 PLANNING With nearly 18,000 respondents, WeddingWire gives you the truest look into modern Importance of Online Resources day engagements and wedding planning – along with other interesting nuances Role of Technology like financial habits (one-in-four Millennials don’t pay a dime for their wedding) and more prominent celebrations for LGBTQ couples (with an increase in guest size and Finding the Vendor Team parents’ financial contributions) since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide. Find out all this and more in WeddingWire’s 2018 Newlywed Report! 10 COUPLES Lauren Goodson Kirsten Francis Who They Are Director of Insights Manager of Insights Who's Included in the Wedding Party WeddingWire WeddingWire Differences Among Couples 12 WEDDING TIMELINE Timeline METHODOLOGY Wedding Day Traditions The 2018 Newlywed Report is primarily based on WeddingWire's Newlywed Adding a Personal Touch Survey – the largest survey of 2017 weddings in the industry (N=17,862). The data is collected from WeddingWire’s annual Newlywed Survey distributed to WeddingWire.com couples married between January 1st and December 31st, 2017. Respondents represent couples from all over the country with various ethnicities, 14 COST income levels, race, age, sexual orientation and gender identity. To provide the most comprehensive view of research collected, WeddingWire has also included Average Wedding Cost findings from ad hoc studies conducted in 2017, as well as behavioral data Who's Paying for the Wedding analyzed by the company’s own team of data scientists. In a typical year, WeddingWire conducts research with more than 150,000 US brides, grooms, Evolution of LGBTQ Weddings guests and wedding professionals. Average Wedding Cost by Category Average Wedding Cost in 25 Largest Metro Area Markets 2 3 4 ENGAGEMENT INTRODUCTION Planning the Proposal Purchasing the Ring No two weddings are alike, which is what keeps the wedding industry so fascinating Popular Dates to Pop the Question year after year. From celebratory hashtags and social media announcements (86 percent of couples do this), to mixed-gender wedding parties and the inclusion of Sharing the News local food, it’s no surprise that personalization is the one constant theme. In this Average Engagement Length year’s Newlywed Report, you’ll notice a continued shift in the traditional wedding Most Popular Wedding Dates season (hint: it’s moved from summer to fall!) and how couples are relying on technology from the engagement through their wedding day. Planning is also starting earlier than ever before, as you’ll see three-in-four Millennials are starting to do so before they even get engaged. 8 PLANNING With nearly 18,000 respondents, WeddingWire gives you the truest look into modern Importance of Online Resources day engagements and wedding planning – along with other interesting nuances Role of Technology like financial habits (one-in-four Millennials don’t pay a dime for their wedding) and more prominent celebrations for LGBTQ couples (with an increase in guest size and Finding the Vendor Team parents’ financial contributions) since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide. Find out all this and more in WeddingWire’s 2018 Newlywed Report! 10 COUPLES Lauren Goodson Kirsten Francis Who They Are Director of Insights Manager of Insights Who's Included in the Wedding Party WeddingWire WeddingWire Differences Among Couples 12 WEDDING TIMELINE Timeline METHODOLOGY Wedding Day Traditions The 2018 Newlywed Report is primarily based on WeddingWire's Newlywed Adding a Personal Touch Survey – the largest survey of 2017 weddings in the industry (N=17,862). The data is collected from WeddingWire’s annual Newlywed Survey distributed to WeddingWire.com couples married between January 1st and December 31st, 2017. Respondents represent couples from all over the country with various ethnicities, 14 COST income levels, race, age, sexual orientation and gender identity. To provide the most comprehensive view of research collected, WeddingWire has also included Average Wedding Cost findings from ad hoc studies conducted in 2017, as well as behavioral data Who's Paying for the Wedding analyzed by the company’s own team of data scientists. In a typical year, WeddingWire conducts research with more than 150,000 US brides, grooms, Evolution of LGBTQ Weddings guests and wedding professionals. Average Wedding Cost by Category Average Wedding Cost in 25 Largest Metro Area Markets 2 3 ENGAGEMENT PLANNING COUPLES WEDDING TIMELINE COST ENGAGEMENT PURCHASING THE RING Given the average cost of an engagement ring is $5,000, it’s no surprise that 1 in 3 show their partner the ring/style they like and nearly 50% pick out the $5000 PLANNING THE PROPOSAL ring together. The majority of purchasers look at 2-7 rings in-person before making the final decision. Seventy-two percent of Millennials feel pressured to make their proposal highly AVERAGE COST unique (vs. 45% Gen X). While data shows they are more inclined then Gen X to POPULAR FEMALE RING STYLES: involve others in their proposal plans, Millennials continue to honor certain timeless proposal traditions: 74% DIAMOND 50% 1-2 CARATS 53% HALO SETTING 23% ROUND BRILLANT PURCHASED FROM: 68% 72% 82% 63% 31% 5% Plan the proposal Ask for parents' Get on one knee BRICK-AND-MORTAR ONLINE HEIRLOOM ahead of time blessing for the proposal PROPOSAL PLANS INVOLVING OTHERS (MILLENNIALS VS. GEN X) POPULAR DATES TO POP THE QUESTION When it comes to proposals, “will you marry me” is becoming 38% TELL FRIENDS AND FAMILY MILLENNIALS 56% a familiar refrain during the holiday season. In fact, Christmas OF ENGAGEMENTS ABOUT PROPOSAL PLANS GEN X 38% Day is the most popular day of the year to pop the question, HAPPEN DURING with Christmas Eve rounding out the top 3. "ENGAGEMENT SEASON" INVITE FRIENDS AND FAMILY MILLENNIALS 25% TO WITNESS PROPOSAL GEN X 17% JAN ENGAGEMENT F E TOP 5 ENGAGEMENT B BY MONTH C 7% E 8 DATES OF 2017 MILLENNIALS 20% D % SECRETLY HAD PROPOSAL % M 6 A 1 7 R PHOTOGRAPHED/RECORDED GEN X 12% % 1 CHRISTMAS DAY A 8 MILLENNIALS P PLANNED A CELEBRATION 22% V % % R 2 VALENTINE'S DAY O ENGAGEMENT 7 N IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PROPOSAL GEN X 13% SEASON 3 CHRISTMAS EVE 9 M % T % 7 C A Y O NEW YEAR'S DAY 4 % 7 8 % NO RING, of Millennials start planning for P J E U 5 % NEW YEAR'S EVE S N 9 8 NO PROBLEM! % 75% their wedding to the proposal. prior G J U U A L 4 Gen X: 1961-1981, Millennials: 1982-1996 5 ENGAGEMENT PLANNING COUPLES WEDDING TIMELINE COST ENGAGEMENT PURCHASING THE RING Given the average cost of an engagement ring is $5,000, it’s no surprise that 1 in 3 show their partner the ring/style they like and nearly 50% pick out the $5000 PLANNING THE PROPOSAL ring together. The majority of purchasers look at 2-7 rings in-person before making the final decision. Seventy-two percent of Millennials feel pressured to make their proposal highly AVERAGE COST unique (vs. 45% Gen X). While data shows they are more inclined then Gen X to POPULAR FEMALE RING STYLES: involve others in their proposal plans, Millennials continue to honor certain timeless proposal traditions: 74% DIAMOND 50% 1-2 CARATS 53% HALO SETTING 23% ROUND BRILLANT PURCHASED FROM: 68% 72% 82% 63% 31% 5% Plan the proposal Ask for parents' Get on one knee BRICK-AND-MORTAR ONLINE HEIRLOOM ahead of time blessing for the proposal PROPOSAL PLANS INVOLVING OTHERS (MILLENNIALS VS. GEN X) POPULAR DATES TO POP THE QUESTION When it comes to proposals, “will you marry me” is becoming 38% TELL FRIENDS AND FAMILY MILLENNIALS 56% a familiar refrain during the holiday season. In fact, Christmas OF ENGAGEMENTS ABOUT PROPOSAL PLANS GEN X 38% Day is the most popular day of the year to pop the question, HAPPEN DURING with Christmas Eve rounding out the top 3. "ENGAGEMENT SEASON" INVITE FRIENDS AND FAMILY MILLENNIALS 25% TO WITNESS PROPOSAL GEN X 17% JAN ENGAGEMENT F E TOP 5 ENGAGEMENT B BY MONTH C 7% E 8 DATES OF 2017 MILLENNIALS 20% D % SECRETLY HAD PROPOSAL % M 6 A 1 7 R PHOTOGRAPHED/RECORDED GEN X 12% % 1 CHRISTMAS DAY A 8 MILLENNIALS P PLANNED A CELEBRATION 22% V % % R 2 VALENTINE'S DAY O ENGAGEMENT 7 N IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PROPOSAL GEN X 13% SEASON 3 CHRISTMAS EVE 9 M % T % 7 C A Y O NEW YEAR'S DAY 4 % 7 8 % NO RING, of Millennials start planning for P J E U 5 % NEW YEAR'S EVE S N 9 8 NO PROBLEM! % 75% their wedding to the proposal. prior G J U U A L 4 Gen X: 1961-1981, Millennials: 1982-1996 5 ENGAGEMENT PLANNING COUPLES SHARING THE NEWS For years, engagement parties were meant as the stage to announce an engagement to family and friends; nowadays, 86% of couples turn to social media to spread the news – majority within a few hours of getting engaged! 1 IN 4 WHERE COUPLES POST THE NEWS COUPLES HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT PARTY 76% 35% 12% FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER 2 IN 3 10% couples announce their news of parents find out about on social media immediately their kid's engagement via or within a few hours social media AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT LENGTH Forty-one percent of couples are engaged ENGAGEMENT LENGTH for 10 – 15 months, with the average engagement lasting 13 months.