Each year, weddingsonline run a survey to reveal the biggest trends and changes in Irish weddings. And ladies, the results are in!
Based on surveys conducted with over 1,200 participants, the biggest surprise of this years survey was a jump in the money Irish couples are spending on their big day.
The average budget for a wedding including honeymoon is ‘¬26,015, up 7% on last year.
Irish couples allocated on average ‘¬12,413 to their dream venue. Over 60% of couples surveyed struggled to stay within budget, with 13% spending over 5K more than they had planned to. 18% of couples look to take out a loan to help fund their special day and 22% of couples get help from their parents.
On top of all this, the average spend on the hens party in 2017 was ‘¬253 per person… They obviously weren’t booking with The Foxy Hen. With us, you can design a luxurious ladies weekend away within your budget that won’t hurt anyone’s hip pocket. So while you’re here, check out our Irish and other European destinations, find your party city, pick your accommodation and activities and voila! You’re off on your affordable hens party weekend and have more money for the dress!!
The Engagement
- Engagements are spread quite evenly throughout the year with a peak in December (24%).
- Couples are enjoying longer engagements with over 27% of engaged couples waiting more than 2 years to get married compared to over 25% last year.
- The average age for brides tying the knot is 31 years of age while the groom’s average age is 33 years of age.
Planning
- Social media remains an important tool in planning weddings, with 69% using Facebook (down 1%), 66% using Pinterest (down 6%), 35% using Instagram (up 3%) and 8% using Snapchat (up 3%) to plan their wedding.
- 84% of couples have used HIGM (Help I’m Getting Married Facebook Group) for their wedding planning.
- 45% say that reviews are the most important factor when booking a supplier.
Dates & Venues
- Friday and Saturday are still the most popular days for weddings, with Saturday being the top choice (42.41%).
- Over half of weddings take place during the summer months with August being the most popular month, followed by July, June and September.
- The hotel venue remains the most popular choice at 67%, followed by the country house at 19% and then castle at 9%.
- Religious ceremonies are still the most popular (64%), however, they are down 6% on last year while civil and humanist ceremonies are on the rise with 11.75% and 11.25% respectively.
Size & Spend
- On average couples invite 159 guests to their Big Day.
- On average, brides choose 3 bridesmaids and grooms opt for 3 groomsmen.
- 63% of the couples surveyed paid for accommodation for parents, 41.49% paid for accommodation for the bridal party and 21.74% didn’t pay for anyone.
The Speeches
- 39% of couples surveyed have their speeches before the meal, 31% opt to have their speeches after the meal and 25% have them between courses. 5% opt to have no speeches at all.
- More and more brides are opting to say a few words with 31% giving a speech.
The Honeymoon
- 9 out of 10 couples honeymoon abroad with 59% waiting a few months after the wedding before they head off on their honeymoon.
- Almost half of couples enjoy a mini-moon in Ireland directly after their wedding.
- The average cost of a honeymoon is ‘¬5,261.
- The most popular honeymoon destinations are The Maldives, the USA, Italy, Mexico and Spain.
The Average Spend For The Whole Shebang
- Venue – ‘¬12,413
- Weddings Rings – ‘¬1,292
- Engagement Ring – ‘¬1,849
- Wedding Band – ‘¬2,019
- DJ – ‘¬434
- Photographer – ‘¬1,597
- Videographer – ‘¬1,283
- Wedding Dress – ‘¬1,787
- Ceremony Music – ‘¬440
- Evening Entertainment (Non Musical ‘ Magician, dancers, comedian etc.) – ‘¬570
- Honeymoon – ‘¬5,261
- Celebrant – ‘¬347
- Make-up Total (inc. Bridesmaids) – ‘¬368*
- Hair Total (inc. Bridesmaids) – ‘¬313*
- Wedding Planner – ‘¬1,523
- Bridesmaid Dresses – ‘¬726*
- Accessories – ‘¬504
- Wedding Suits – ‘¬1,068**
- Wedding Car – ‘¬457
- Wedding Cake – ‘¬378
- Décor – ‘¬677
- Flower – ‘¬674
- Invitations – ‘¬369
- Ceremony Booklets – ‘¬257
- Foodie Treats – ‘¬358
- Stag/Hens party – ‘¬253/pp
Total: ‘¬26,015
*average of 3 bridesmaids
**4-5 suits bought on average
Credit to weddingsonline for all survey data.
Image credits: freepic.dillar, by Freepik
