One in five recently married Americans admit they almost didn’t show up to the altar on their wedding day, according to new research.
The survey of 2,000 Americans who got married between 2021 and 2024, found that 20% of those polled got cold feet before their big day and nearly called the whole thing off.
When it came down to it, over half of our respondents (52%) said they spent less than $10,000 on their wedding, with 20% of those surveyed spending more than $30,000.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll for USA Today Blueprint, aimed to uncover the financials of planning a wedding, as well as the biggest regrets people still have about the big day.
Eighty-six percent said they don’t regret the cost of their wedding, but when asked what specific regrets couples had, 10% said the total cost was the biggest.
Over half (54%) of respondents paid for the wedding themselves and the majority (69%) used cash.
Other payment methods included credit cards (29%) or a wedding loan (2%). Keep in mind that respondents were able to choose more than one answer for this question, so some used a combination of these methods.
The most common regret was the scheduling, with 19% saying they were too rushed and didn’t have enough time to do everything they wanted.
Also high on the list of regrets was the guest list: 17% of those polled said they wished they did a better job at selecting who was invited to the wedding.
The survey also found that 15% of couples said wedding planning was the biggest challenge of all.
When asked how long the entire planning process took them, 40% shared that they did all of their wedding planning in less than four months, and 20% said it took them four to six months.
Another 24% planned their wedding in 7 to 12 months while only 17% took longer than this. On average, it’s safe to say you need up to six months set aside for wedding planning.
The survey also asked married couples what they enjoyed more: the bachelorx party or the honeymoon?
There’s no right or wrong answer, but here’s what the research found.
Overall, 51% of those surveyed didn’t have a bachelorx party at all. But of those who did, nearly half (42%) of those surveyed enjoyed their honeymoon more than the bach party. But a not-far-behind 34% enjoyed the bach party more.
And to round it out: 24% enjoyed both events equally.
BIGGEST WEDDING REGRETS
Scheduling (19%)Guest list (17%)Other (13%)Vendors (12%)Total cost (10%)Weather (10%)The way I looked (9%)Location (6%)Planning (4%)
This online survey of 2,000 Americans who have been married since 2021 was commissioned by USA TODAY Blueprint and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. Data was collected from Feb 7 to Feb 14, 2024. The margin of error is +/- 2.2 points with 95% confidence. This survey was overseen by the OnePoll research team, which is a member of the MRS and has corporate membership with the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR).
