The Knot Worldwide's 2024 Global Wedding Report Reveals Industry Growth Amid Macroeconomic Challenges
The Knot Worldwide, a leading global marketplace and family of brands championing celebration, today unveiled its 2024 Global Wedding Report, based on findings from a study of more than 25,000 people who got married in 2023 across 15 countries. The report finds weddings are evolving and playing an even more critical role in society as consumers cope with global crises, political turbulence and economic strife.
"Over the past year, we continue to see engaged couples lean into leveraging technology throughout their planning journey," said Tim Chi, Chief Executive Officer at The Knot Worldwide. "Celebrating one of life's most important moments with friends and family remains at the heart of wedding planning. While millennials dominate the market right now, members of Gen Z have started to shake things up as they reach marrying age. The younger generation is even more enthusiastic about the idea of marriage than older generations, but they are also redefining tradition as we know it. The pressure is on to adapt, but one thing is certain: Whether you are wedding planning in Portugal or Peru, the global wedding industry is as strong as ever."
Top themes and takeaways from The Knot Worldwide 2024 Global Wedding Report:
#1. Finding love through friends
- The top way to meet a significant other is through friends, especially in Italy (35%).
- The second most popular way for couples to meet is online/through dating apps, most notably in Canada (39%) and the U.K. (33%)?up 12 and 11 percentage points respectively compared to pre-pandemic times in 2019.
- In Latin America, it is very common to meet through work?especially in Mexico (27%). Couples in Peru who met through work dropped 10 percentage points compared to the year prior, down to 23%.
#2. Taking time to build a connection and putting family first
- For some, first comes love, then comes baby, then comes marriage. Nearly half of French newlyweds had children before marriage and over one-quarter of them hired a babysitter for their wedding day.
- The trend of having kids before the wedding is also pronounced in Chile (43%) and Portugal (39%), reflecting a shift toward progressive relationship dynamics across geographies.
- The average age to wed continues to get progressively older. For example, the average age of couples in Chile and Italy was 34 in 2019?but now it's 36. Canada and Portugal went from 32 to 35 between 2019 and 2023.
#3. Investing in what matters in the face of uncertainty
- Despite economic turbulence and inflation, people continue to invest in weddings. Guest experience ranks as the No. 1 priority?with the highest guest counts in India (326), Mexico (146) and Brazil (124)?followed by cost.
- Couples in Latin America reduced guest lists but increased budgets, while U.S. and Canadian couples made trade-offs to keep budgets stable. In a separate study from The Knot Worldwide that looks ahead to the rest of the year, 70% of 2024 couples in the U.S. have experienced an economic impact on planning, but only 1 in 3 adjusted budgets, and a mere one in 10 reduced them.
- Across all countries, couples hired an average of 10 vendors for their wedding day, with the U.S. topping the list at 14. Photographers are among the most hired vendors across all regions, employed by nearly nine in 10 couples on average.
#4. Technology is more important than ever
- Most countries?aside from the U.S.?are highly dependent on WhatsApp to communicate throughout the planning process, especially when sharing details with their guests and talking with their vendors. In Brazil, Mexico and Italy, nine out of 10 couples use WhatsApp for communication with their vendors after booking.
- On average, roughly one in three couples worldwide utilized video chat to connect with at least one vendor. Those in the U.K. (59%), U.S. (54%), Canada (44%) and Brazil (41%) are most likely to use it, while those in Peru (22%) and Uruguay (20%) are least likely.
- The use of wedding websites has increased, especially in North America. In 2019, 70% of U.S. couples used a wedding website to share information with guests, and this figure rose to 82% in 2023. Likewise, the percentage in Canada increased from 59% in 2019 to 69% in 2023.
#5. Embracing cultural differences
- Diverse traditions enrich wedding receptions worldwide. Couples in Portugal (96%) and Italy (90%) favor cake-cutting, but it's far less common in locations like Brazil (30%). Alcohol is commonly served, especially in North America and Western Europe, with unique customs like open bars with a time limit in Spain (70%) and signature cocktails reigning supreme in the U.S. (45%). Specialty wedding professionals?such as vendors who provide fireworks in Mexico and Italy, and ham cutters in Spain?highlight regional nuances.
- Nearly one in four couples in Peru, the U.S., France, Argentina and Colombia are opting to change into different outfits throughout their special day.
- Couples in Mexico (64%) and Brazil (62%) are most likely to have religious wedding ceremonies, as opposed to those in the U.K. (18%) and Canada (24%); however, religious ceremonies continue to decline across the board. In 2019, 70% of couples in Colombia, Italy, Brazil and Mexico had religious ceremonies, but now only 64% or less do.
For more insights and trends, check out the full report here.
Methodology
The 2024 Global Wedding Report captured responses from nearly 25,000 people who got married in 2023 across 15 countries; respondents were recruited via email or SMS invitation from The Knot Worldwide (The Knot, WeddingWire and Bodas.net membership) between March 2023 and March 2024. Respondents represent couples from all over the country with various ethnicities, income levels, race, age, sexual orientation and gender identity. To provide the most comprehensive view, this report includes findings from ad hoc studies and examples from couples who have shared their real wedding experiences with the company.
About The Knot Worldwide
In more than 16 countries around the world, The Knot Worldwide's global family of brands enables our communities to celebrate the moments that make us. At the core of the TKWW business is a leading global online wedding marketplace, connecting couples with local wedding professionals and a comprehensive suite of personalized wedding websites, planning tools, invitations and registry services that make wedding planning easier for couples. The company's wedding planning services are offered through its global wedding brands, including The Knot, WeddingWire, Bodas.net, Hitched.co.uk and Matrimonio.com. TKWW also supports parents through the pregnancy and parenting journey with content and tools on The Bump, and helps communities plan other important life celebrations through The Bash.
The company is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland with offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Check out The Knot Worldwide on LinkedIn.
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