Generation Z Are Getting Married — Are You Ready?

How Wedding Businesses Can Prepare for Gen Z Couples Getting Married

Generation Z are now getting married with the oldest being in their late twenties. So what can you expect from their weddings AND what they are like as a client? By now, most wedding pros have figured out how to market to millennials. But here’s the catch: Gen Z is a whole new ballgame. Just as you wouldn’t market the same way to Gen X as you would to millennials, you shouldn’t treat Gen Z and millennials as interchangeable either.

So, what are Gen Z like as consumers? And how does that influence their wedding choices, communication styles, and expectations as clients? I’ve spent quite a bit of time diving into some data from across the globe so read on for some stats and how this will affect the way you do business moving forwards. I am balancing this with various views and opinions of real life couples on threads.

Note: I have so many sources from my research so I have listed under each stat instead of clumped together at the bottom!

Generation Z Weddings / Couples at a Glance

• Gen Z couples (born ~1997–2012) are tech-savvy, value-driven, and socially conscious.
• They want authentic, diverse, and personalised weddings, often influenced by social media and TikTok trends.
• Unlike Millennials, they care more about meaningful experiences than traditions or luxury alone.
• Wedding businesses need to adapt by offering flexible, inclusive, digital-first services and modern marketing that speaks their language.
• If your brand isn’t evolving to service Generation Z, you risk being left behind.

Who Are Gen Z?

Born between 1997 and 2012 (give or take a few years depending on the source), Gen Zers have been bought up in a digital world and this impacts much of the below data. In many cases they are the children of Gen X (i.e. all 3 of my children!). This means that it’s not just Gen Z you’re marketing to, but also their parents who may be financially contributing.

Generation Z Wedding Trends

In the yearly survey by Think Splendid out of the 53,493 couples interviewed who were married in 2024, 11% were Gen Z. This number will begin to rise rapidly over the coming years – personally I find this exciting as I still remember when we began to investigate how to market to millennials back in my early days as a wedding planner. You have a choice – get ahead of the game and understand how to market and serve Generation Z now – or simply wait until all your competitors have overtaken you.

What Gen Z Consumers Value

Work-Life Balance Over Hustle Culture

Gen Z are more focused on balance than climbing the corporate ladder, which shifts how they spend time and money — including when planning a wedding.
Source

AI and Tech Integration

74% of Gen Z believe Ai will transform how they work within the next year. It’s safe to assume this will also affect how they plan weddings — from researching suppliers on TikTok to using Ai tools for inspiration and planning. So think about ways to show value outside of Ai , show why you are the expert when it comes to your wedding niche. And at the same time embrace automation in your business to show efficiency and tech awareness.
Source

Sustainability Matters

65% say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable and eco-friendly products. That includes floristry, fashion, and venue choices. So if you are a business that offers eco friendly options NOW is your time to shine, Generation Z are ready and waiting for you!
Source

Price-Conscious

With 34% concerned about the cost of living, transparency in pricing and clear value for money is key. In fact “speed of response” and “being transparent on your fees” were two themes that came up again and again on threads.
Source

Wedding Marketing to Gen Z

Gen Z is overwhelmingly online and visual-first:

• 80%+ use YouTube
• 75% use Instagram
• 69% use TikTok
  Source

If we balance the above with the data from the Think Splendid 2025 Global survey shown below – we can see Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are all used by couples planning their wedding. Incidentally I’ve been reviewing stats from this survey since 2009 and see the growth of some platforms is so interesting. For example in 2015 only 11% of couples used YouTube and just 15% used instagram and TikTok didn’t even exist yet!

So ask yourself – are you hanging out where they are? You don’t have to be on every platform but you do need to embrace at least 1 visual social media platform for your marketing, and honestly if you utilise repurposing you can easily have a presence on all of them without it causing additional work. There’s been a 104% increase in Gen Z using TikTok to research brands and products since 2020.
Source

What Makes Gen Z Wedding Clients Different

Exceptional Customer Experience

They want fast, personal, and respectful service — and they’re not afraid to speak out if they don’t get it. Not necessarily to you but online for sure. You must have seen the viral TikToks (Sepia Bride and Makeup Bride to name just 2) where the brides recorded videos to complaint about their suppliers? Or rather attempting to as it didn’t exactly go the way they planned. So what processes do you have within your business to ensure boundaries are clear? And is your complaint procedure given to clients?

• 90% would take action after a bad experience — including leaving a negative review or calling out a business on social media.
• 65% of Gen Z would leave an online retailer if their experience is not personalised! 
• [Sources: Emplifi, Alltius

Do you have a clear complaints policy in place? Gen Z won’t always tell you something is wrong — but they will tell the internet.

Personalised Service

Even if you offer packages, Gen Z wants to feel like their wedding is custom, not cookie-cutter. Can you personalise your offerings or present them in a way that makes each couple feel seen? One of the ways I help my consultancy clients is to create a customer journey with numerous touch points designed to excite, delight and educate them. Part of this is automated and part of it is through human touch. Ask yourself what your customers journey is like? And how do you welcome them into your world? Do you have a smooth on-boarding procedure in place?

Transparency

If there’s one thing Gen Z hates? Having to ask for your prices.

They expect to see pricing info without jumping on a call. If your services are bespoke (e.g. a florist), offer guideline pricing or a line that says clients typically spend £x on their wedding flowers. Think about it, if a couple are researching for suppliers to use which is on average 14 different vendors / suppliers – and they might shortlist around 3 for each category which equates to 42 enquiries (conservative). Are you telling me you expect them to make 42 meetings with each one just to get a price?

No matter how good you are. No matter how much they love you. No matter how many awards or testimonials you have. They have a budget – even luxury weddings have a budget! Having an understanding (even approx.) of where you fit into their budget is important. From here they can make a decision whether to jump on a call for a more detailed realistic quotation. The other reason why Gen Z despise not having the info handy is they don’t like wasting time especially on processes that in their mind could be handled by tech much quicker.

What Should Wedding Businesses Know About Communicating With Gen Z?

Flexibility is key. Saying “don’t DM me is screaming I don’t want your business” in your Instagram bio is essentially a hard pass to Gen Z. They’ve landed in your world, they’re excited — don’t stop the flow. Utilise automations to guide them onto your on-boarding process, welcome them in instead of slamming the door in their face. Yes you want life to be easier for you to manage but you want to make it easy for them to contact you. You’re stopping their excitement mid flow and saying zip it, don’t speak – contact me this way instead!

💬 Suggested Contact Options:

Don’t just have 1 mode of contacting you. For example you might love zoom calls because you can really sell. But maybe this is awkward for them? Give options even if all options lead into your CRM system one way or another.

• WhatsApp
• DMs
• Email
• Zoom calls
• Phone calls
• Website contact forms

Neuro Diverse + Inclusivity

They’re also the most neurodiverse-aware generation, so having multiple ways to communicate shows inclusivity and understanding. Go view your social media platforms and your website – ask yourself how easy it is to contact you? This generation is passionate about sustainability, inclusivity, and ethics. If your brand supports LGBTQ+ couples, champions diversity, or prioritises the environment — be vocal about this.

💍 Weddings

Marriage Still Matters

• 75% of Gen Z want to get married vs. 43% of millennials.
• 53% of Gen Z said they definitely see themselves getting legally married
  [Sources: Charles Russell Speechlys, The Knot]

Micro Weddings & Elopements

Whether it’s cost of living or a general disinterest in tradition, smaller, more intentional weddings are on the rise. Think: elopements, destination weddings, curated guest lists. Now this could be a knock on to cost of living but also could be an element of they do not feel the need to conform by having a large wedding. They have no problem restricting the guest list and wont be pressured to invite long lost relatives. Saying no isn’t an issue for generation z – I blame the parents lol!

Wedding Stats to Watch

Weddings are on the increase or are they? Keep a look out for the 2023 stats which should be released in June 2025 to see if the below figure is purely a knock on from the pandemic. I will update this article once new stats are in.

UK marriage rates:

• 2022: 246,897
• 2021: 207,708
• 2020: 85,770 (pandemic drop)
• 2019: 219,850
• 2018: 234,795
• Stay tuned — updated 2023 stats are due in June 2025.
  [Source: ONS]

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Gen Z couples want in a wedding?

Gen Z values authenticity, personalisation, and inclusivity. They prefer unique venues, non-traditional ceremonies, sustainable choices, and digital experiences. Their weddings often reflect their identity and social values. They have no problem saying no to family pressure.

How is Gen Z changing the wedding industry?

Gen Z couples are redefining norms by using TikTok, ChatGPT and Instagram to plan weddings, choosing suppliers based on values and personality, and expecting fast digital communication. They favour brands that are transparent, diverse, and tech-forward.

How can wedding professionals attract Gen Z couples?

Offer customisable packages, value-based messaging, and instant communication via DM or WhatsApp. Showcase real, diverse couples and experiences. Think more real life and less curated.

Final Thoughts

Gen Z are already reshaping the wedding industry — and the businesses that adapt to their needs now will be the ones who thrive in the years to come.

From TikTok to transparency, values to voice notes — this generation expects more, but rewards businesses that deliver.

Are you ready?

Further Reading

How automation can improve your customer service – READ HERE

Why discounting is killing your wedding business – READ HERE

Staying organised in your wedding business – READ HERE

Photos by Farlie Photography