Gen Z, or those born between 1995 and 2010, have spoken about how they plan to approach the concept of the wedding. Despite their young and tender age, many have already expressed their opinions about marriage. Unsurprisingly, they have many similarities with millennials regarding their wedding prep plans. This proves that today’s younger generations are challenging how the past generations tackle weddings.
The following are four ways Gen Z changed everyone’s concept of marriage.
Waiting Before Tying the Knot
Gen Z waits far longer before shopping for bands for their wedding than the older generation. They have various reasons to back up their decision. One is their desire to attain a better financial situation before saying, “I do.”
Today’s younger generation wants to be able to pay for their weddings. This is one thing that sets their marriages apart from the older generation. Unlike Generation X, Baby Boomers, and the other generations who came before them, they want to support their event and enjoy better control over the occasion.
Since Gen Z plans on saving and paying for their wedding, they are more likely to take longer before tying the knot. This is because they plan on reducing, if not paying off, their debts before marrying. They know a healthy marriage involves healthy finances and want to start their wedding life right by being more financially responsible adults before the big event.
Getting Hitched at an Intimate Wedding
Gen Z is unlike your typical soon-to-be-married couples who want it as grand and big as traditional weddings. They want a more minor, intimate event surrounded by the people they hold dearest to their hearts. They would rather have a small gathering filled with love than a grand event where they don’t even know and or want of the guests in their weddings.
Unlike traditional weddings, Gen Z weddings are the true definition of more minor is more. Micro-weddings are becoming the norm in the modern era. With fewer guests on the list and the more intimate the weddings, the more chances couples have to interact with their guests and truly enjoy these special moments with their loved ones.
Since fewer guests are to take care of, Gen Zs can dedicate their financial resources to personalizing their wedding. This also helps reduce their wedding expenses. This is one of the primary reasons they choose a smaller wedding in the first place, which is to save money.
Staying Socially Conscious During the Wedding
Others should know about Gen Zs because they desire to create a social impact. They don’t want lavish weddings that only add to the planet’s pollution. Instead, they would customize their marriage to the point where they are willing to support brands with the same values of preserving the earth.
This is one reason why Gen Z weddings are filled with eco-friendly choices. They want to reduce their environmental impact, especially on their wedding day. Think of hand-made souvenirs from recycled materials, hand-me-downs, and sustainable materials.
Gen Z’s social consciousness is why they are into smaller weddings. They value their mental health so much that they would rather have an intimate wedding where they won’t be physically and mentally exhausted. They want to enjoy better peace of mind during their big day, so they only invite a few of their closest loved ones.
Gen Zs are also likely to include a charity in their wedding plans. This is one reason more couples are donating their registry to charity these days. They know that more guests would be willing to pay and buy gifts from their registry whenever charity distributions are included at no cost.
Weddings Are Tech-friendly
Thanks to Gen Z’s love for technology, today’s weddings are planned early and quickly. From the moment they choose their wedding planners to how they invite guests, they utilize tech to their advantage. Most wedding planning now happens online, with most Gen Zs using smartphones.
They check the necessary wedding preparations online and check reviews before choosing a wedding planner, venue, photographer, etc. They use Pinterest to look for wedding inspirations and their favorite influencer’s wedding and plan advice for their own. Some would even use wedding planning apps to streamline the process and video chat apps to broadcast the event to faraway loved ones.
This list only shows us how different Gen Z weddings are. They embrace intimate weddings instead of more extensive and grand celebrations. They are more likely to use tech during their marriages and are socially conscious when planning their big day. Many are willing to wait to ensure financial stability before tying the knot.
