By Allison Sadlier // SWNS
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
Seven in ten married Americans knew what they wanted their wedding day to look like… before they had even met their spouse.
A study examining 2,000 Americans’ wedding wishes and aspirations found that men were actually MORE likely (eight percent more likely than women) to think about what they wanted their wedding to look like while they were dating.
All those childhood dreams really start to take shape while people are still young seeing as over half of those married ages 18-30 already had an idea for what they’d wear down the aisle.
The average age people start to seriously think about their wedding is 21 ‒ while the average woman is daydreaming about her wedding day by 19 years old, however men tend to wait to really start picturing their “I dos” until 23.
The survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Mixbook found that the average person tentatively plans their wedding over 2.8 years before finally walking down the aisle.
All that planning can be highly emotional seeing as four in ten described the experience of organizing a wedding as “exciting” and “memorable” (39 percent).
Still, despite all the fun parts, people still found the process “stressful” (34 percent), “overwhelming” (31 percent), and “financially draining” (28 percent).
All those hours and months of hard work do tend to payoff in a big way though, since 45 percent admitted that their wedding turned out better than they thought it would. Married men were 40 percent more likely than women to say that their wedding exceeded their expectations.
Even though people loved how their big day went, many admitted they were definitely bits of advice they wished they followed more. Two in five revealed they wished they just relaxed and enjoyed the day more.
Other common wishes were taking more pictures (35 percent), planning for the unexpected (24 percent), creating a wedding album (24 percent), and saving their stationery and keepsakes (14 percent).
Leslie Albertson, Director of Marketing at Mixbook said, “With all the details that go into wedding planning, there can be a lot of pressure to have your big day go off without a hitch. Don't forget to take a breath and remember to appreciate the little moments - getting ready with friends and family, a final pre-wedding embrace with your mom or dad, your guests arriving, and last minute instructions to the flower girl and ring bearer (and your sister-in-law's promise "they'll do great"). Give yourself peace of mind by having a photographer on hand to capture each unique moment in time, especially the ones you might otherwise miss. You’ll be able to relive your special day for years to come through photos.”
Many single people already have dreams of what they’d like their wedding to look like too. Seventy-two percent admit to thinking about their future “I dos” and a third have a place they store their wedding inspiration.
Twenty-eight percent of single people haven’t given a potential wedding a single thought, but that hasn’t stopped others from envisioning their big day.
One of the most popular things people envision is the wedding venue and men are 18 percent more likely than women to already have a spot in mind.
That’s not all people are secretly planning for their big day. Over half of the single people surveyed revealed they already have an idea who will be in their wedding party.
A quarter of people even have thoughts in mind for the wedding stationery and wedding books.
Albertson added, “Weddings are a declaration of love and commitment between partners, but they also represent a celebration of family, a thank you for the friendship and support that guided you, and reflection of your taste and style – it's not surprising that so much thought and planning is put into an occasion symbolizing so much. You want every detail to be perfect- from the first impression your wedding invitation establishes, all the way through the ceremony and reception. Detailed planning will make the day perfect. Great photos will help you remember it forever.”
WEDDING ADVICE YOU WISH YOU FOLLOWED
Enjoy the day 43%
Take more pics 35%
Stick to budget 30%
Pay more attention to details 26%
Plan for unexpected 24%
Create wedding album 24%
Better food 21%
Create a guestbook 15%
Print wedding book 14%
Saving stationery/keepsakes 14%
MOST COMMONLY BITS TENTATIVELY PLANNED BEFORE ENGAGEMENT
Location/venue 48%
My dress/suit 47%
Food/drink 42%
Wedding photos 38%
Guest list 35%
Wedding party 33%
Reception music 32%
Wedding bands 29%
Wedding photo books 29%
Wedding stationery 25%
TOP WORDS TO DESCRIBE WEDDING PLANNING
Exciting 41%
Memorable 39%
Stressful 34%
Overwhelming 31%
Financially draining 28%
Time consuming 27%
Chaotic 16%
Rushed 16%
