How Gen Z are Evolving Wedding Traditions and Planning
With Gen Z getting older and entering the working force. They are also sealing the tying the knot and getting married, while spicing up wedding traditions while they do it. We’re here to teach grooms and groomsmen all the tips and tricks around weddings, bachelor parties, stag parties and other wedding traditions. So what do you need to know about how Gen Z weddings have changed and what has stayed the same?
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Personalization over Perfection
The biggest change Gen Z weddings have is the focus on personalization. Weddings have always been personalized towards the couple's interests, but not nearly as much as Gen Z does. Their wedding, reflecting their individual personalities, is much more important to them than having what we may consider to be a good traditional wedding.
Gen Z wants their wedding to reflect who they are, not what a wedding is supposed to look like. These changes are incredibly varied from individual to individual, sometimes a change in attire, sometimes a change in activities. It’s really endless, but the throughline of these changes to wedding culture is that they are more focused on being personal and customized.
The Devil is Details
While this is usually true for millennial weddings and prior ones too, Gen Z is still an outlier. The wedding couple focuses more on the details of their wedding than before. That includes engraved glasses, customized gifts, and on-theme decorations. This even sometimes extends to the food being decorated or designed to match the couple's initials and so on.
Weddings Planned with Budget in Mind
You’ll oftentimes find Gen Z weddings being very budget-conscious. Gen Z is keeping their wedding budget low by doing what they can themselves, changing the venue, and getting creative with how their wedding is planned.
Being aware of their budget certainly doesn’t make their weddings less interesting. Without having to spend their budget in certain areas, the couple are able to focus on spending money on the things that actually matter to them during their wedding.
Less Alcohol, More Alternatives
Gen Z drinks much less than previous generations, and the weddings reflect this. More non-alcoholic drinks like smoothies, teas, mocktails, herb drinks, and more are appearing at Gen Z weddings. Not to say there isn’t any alcohol involved, because there is, but it may be less than you expect.
Meaning behind the Wedding Venue
Gen Z Weddings prioritize finding meaning in the details that matter to them. Wedding venues are where this is most obvious. The bride and groom will typically not settle for any normal wedding venue but one that has emotional value to the couple and their relationship. Restaurants, parks, and other places that have emotional value are where Gen Z typically hold their weddings. The venue change also helps keep the cost down.
Focused more on the Guest Experience
Gen Z weddings focus more on the guest experience than previous weddings tend to. Meaning that often, guest entertainment and satisfaction are a higher priority than sticking with traditional wedding values.
Smaller Guest List
Having a smaller guest list creates closeness and intimacy. It also helps cut costs. Gen Z weddings often will have a smaller guest list with their closest friends and family, rather than inviting nearly everyone they’re close to
Wedding Photography has Changed.
Having a wedding photographer who will take weeks to get photos to Gen Z couples is not an option for them. The couple wants their photographs and video to be ready for posting on social media the next day, if not the day of the wedding. Guests and even occasionally the bride and groom will be taking lots of pictures and videos. Wedding photographers are still relevant, but calling them wedding content creators would be more accurate for Gen Z weddings.
What has stayed the same?
Well, almost everything! Gen Z weddings aren’t defying tradition and pushing aside cultural norms; they are revolutionizing and evolving the wedding traditions that are already in place. You still, of course, will have your wedding party with bridesmaids and groomsmen, you still will expect vows, and celebrations, and you can expect the roots of a Gen Z wedding to be the same cultural values. The decoration around those values has changed.
It’s still traditional to get your groomsmen gifts as well, and typically, Gen Z weddings with all their attention to personalization would have the groomsmen gifts be customized individually for each groomsmen. So if you are looking for an amazing personalized guy-themed gift for your groomsmen or a gift to give away at your bachelor’s party, or even a raffle prize to give away at a stag party, check out our Online Store.
