New research of newlyweds has revealed that 9 in 10 newlyweds find budgeting to be the biggest wedding stress. Queensmith’s research surveyed 1,000 recently married couples throughout the UK, exploring the most and least enjoyable aspects, as well as the most stressful moments, leading up to their weddings and during the day itself.
The most stressful aspects of a wedding
Rank | The most stressful aspect of the wedding | % of newlyweds who felt this way |
1 | Budget concerns | 93% |
2 | Family conflicts | 37% |
3 | Rain/bad weather | 36.9% |
4 | Guest list and seating arrangements | 32.9% |
5 | Finding a venue | 24% |
Weddings take a lot of time to plan in order to make them fabulous, but they also cost a pretty hefty sum of money too.
Looking at the most stressful aspects of wedding, a whopping 93% of respondents said budgeting was the most stressful part of planning a wedding.
37% of newlyweds voted family conflicts as the most stressful part of a wedding. Weddings often bring together the families and friends of both partners to celebrate the day. However, the convergence of various groups increases the likelihood of conflicts, which concerns many newlyweds.
Concerns regarding rain or bad weather on the big day ranked as the third stressor, chosen by 36.9% of respondents, closely followed by the challenges of deciding on the guest list and seating arrangements (32.9%), as well as finding a suitable venue (24%).
Most enjoyable aspects of the wedding
Rank | Most enjoyable aspects of weddings | % of newlyweds who felt this way |
1 | Quality time with loved ones | 56.7% |
2 | Finding a dress/suit | 51.9% |
3 | Food tasting | 44.3% |
4 | Looking around venues | 43% |
5 | Choosing wedding rings | 43% |
Queensmith also aimed to reveal the aspects of wedding planning and the wedding day itself that are most enjoyable for newlyweds.
The most enjoyable part of the wedding, selected by over half (57%) of newlyweds, was spending quality time with loved ones.
Finding the perfect dress/ suit for the special day was found to be the second most enjoyable aspect of wedding planning, favoured by 52% of newlyweds, whilst food tasting, looking around venues and choosing wedding rings were ranked third, fourth and fifth, averaging at 43%.
The least enjoyable wedding planning tasks
Rank | The least enjoyable wedding planning tasks | % of newlyweds who enjoy this task |
1 | Creating a budget | 11.4% |
2 | Posting pictures on Instagram | 20.6% |
3 | Sending out save the dates/invites | 21% |
4 | Practising/performing the first dance | 21.2% |
5 | Writing speeches and vows | 22% |
Aside from the angst that impacted newlyweds, there were also tasks that although not emotionally straining or stressful, were reported as unenjoyable.
As well as ranking as the top stressor, ranking at the top of the list for tasks least enjoyed was creating a budget, favoured by just 1 in 10 newlyweds (11.4%).
Interestingly, posting wedding pictures on Instagram ranked as the second least favorable aspect of the big day, with only 20% of newlyweds reporting enjoyment in doing so. The survey also revealed that over half of newlyweds admit to comparing their wedding to others on social media, which could influence their level of enjoyment.
In third place is the time-consuming task of sending out save-the-date and wedding invitations chosen by only 21% of newlyweds. This was closely followed by practising and performing the first dance (21.2%) and writing speeches (22%).
