3 Reasons Why There are Fewer Large Weddings Today!
1. The Economy
We have seen the economy tank lately; the GDP hasn’t reached its average growth rate over the last 8 years. During the time that Millennials have come of marrying age. When you think of big traditional weddings, having a good income is considered necessary. The money is tight yet the desire to be together has not subsided.
2. Non-Traditional Lifestyles
For at least the past 60 years America has followed Europe in shunning tradition. We see it in so many aspects of our lives and one of them is the rate of cohabitation amongst committed couples, those who have been together for seven or more years. Children are being brought into the world by couples that have yet to say the traditional “I do!” The rise in the Millennial cohabitation rate at 67% also plays a large part in fewer weddings.
3. Eloping Instead
There are fewer big traditional weddings today, not only because of the first two reasons; but also, there is an up-tic in elopements. Due to travel availability, the growth in the market of elopement vendors who offer a variety of elopement packages, elopements are growing. In fact, elopements are the fastest growing segment of the Wedding Industry. Of course couples connection to all the elopement world has to offer, via the Internet, elopement is the trend. Due to elopements low-key, couple oriented, and economic value, second marriages have also added to the number of elopements.
The Alternative?
The cost of eloping is on the average 90% less than a traditional big wedding. This appeals to couples who desire to tie the knot but, cannot, or do not want to spend the big-ticket price to exchange their wedding vows. Eloping also plays well into the nontraditional couples’ DNA, a destination elopement, small wedding, or local elopement, are the trend, sans the big wedding tradition. So lets just reclassify elopement as another type of wedding. Because we know #AllWeddingsMatter!
Let us know if you are also attending fewer large weddings today?