For many people, the idea of true love and getting married is akin to a life goal. Marriage offers companionship, love, and a shift in social status for people across the world; marriage is a rite that transcends culture, religion, and other divisive factors. For this reason, it is no wonder why such stock is placed on the ceremony and reception for weddings; here are some facts to help couples plan out their own wedding and understand better what they are participating in.
Love and Marriage in the United States
For some, it is a religious rite; for others a cultural obligation. Marriage takes many forms in the United States with no two marriages quite resembling one another. It is estimated that there are approximately 2.4 million weddings performed in the United States on an annual basis — with the recent legalization of gay marriage last year, numbers are only expected to increase. As marriage rates increase, surprisingly divorce rates are now starting to decrease from the 50% rate from a few years back. The cost of the average wedding is $26,444, although many couples are spending less than $10,000 on more modest weddings — no matter what kind of wedding plans you make, ensure it is something that you and your fiance are both happy with.
Planning a Wedding
Like fashion, weddings go through trends as years go on; whether you wish to adhere to or avoid such trends can say a lot about your individual personality. Up to 30% of brides admit that they spent anywhere from seven to 12 months planning their weddings — as a rule of thumb it is a good practice to start booking your wedding site and reception location as soon as possible to ensure you can reserve the location, typically at least nine months are required for some of the most beautiful wedding places. The average guest count for most of today’s weddings are 136 guests, but again this number should be adjusted according to your budget, location, and the temperament of in-laws! The internet has become a vital asset for wedding planners with nearly half of couples utilizing the web to book some of the most beautiful wedding places and wedding receptions across the country. Consider when you want your wedding to be: June is the most popular month accounting for 15% of all weddings and around 53% of weddings take place in the early afternoon.
Finding the Most Beautiful Wedding Places
Although there is nothing wrong with adhering to tradition, as many as 40% of brides are looking to intentionally book unique, unusual, and beautiful wedding places that better reflect their own personalities. Up to 35% of today’s weddings are outdoor occasions that utilize natural colors and features to create a serene and peaceful wedding in the bosom of mother nature herself. To this end, destination weddings are becoming more and more popular as couples tie the knot in some of the best destination wedding places on planet Earth. Unsurprisingly, a majority of destination weddings take place in the tropics on islands like Aruba, Jamaica, and Hawaii; many hotels anticipate couples and have dedicated services to help couples plan their island weddings. No matter how you choose to get hitched, there are a variety of ways to personalize your wedding as your own — congratulations and good luck planning!
