Wedding: a budget down 17%

KEY FIGURES

•    €7,576 is the average budget envisaged by the French for their wedding (-17% vs 2022).
•    They would invite on average 53 people (-5 guests vs 2022).
•    48% of women consider second hand for their wedding dress.

WEDDING BUDGET DOWN 17%
In 2024, the average budget for a wedding is estimated at €7,576, a significant drop of €1,312 compared to 2022. This drop is explained by the desire to organize more intimate ceremonies (65% of future married) with notably fewer guests. Couples plan to invite an average of 53 people compared to 58 in 2022. They thus wish to reduce the costs linked to the rental of the room and the catering budget.

The search for savings is also evident in other traditionally expensive expenditure items. 74% of French people say they are ready to decorate their wedding themselves and 33% of couples could organize a surprise wedding. We thus see a desire among the French to marry in a more reasonable way, without sacrificing the importance of this unique moment in their lives.

ECO-RESPONSIBLE WEDDING, A TREND THAT IS TAKING HOLD
Opting for an eco-responsible wedding is becoming more possible and 37% of French people think that such an event is no more complicated to organize than a classic wedding (+6pts vs 2022). This development is consistent with growing concern for the environment. Thus, 47% of French people would take into consideration the eco-responsible nature of their wedding if it took place tomorrow in order to limit its environmental impact. More than 6 out of 10 couples (62%) indicate that they will opt for an eco-responsible venue and/or caterer and will rely on committed services favoring local and seasonal products.

Reducing the number of guests, which is justified for economic reasons, is also a choice that will reduce the carbon footprint of the wedding, by limiting transport and consumption.

At the same time, second hand is also establishing itself in wedding codes since almost half of women (48%) are considering this solution for their wedding dress, and 23% of French people are considering it for their wedding rings.

WEDDING IS MAINLY FINANCED BY PERSONAL SAVINGS
In terms of financing, personal savings remain the main source of financing for 7 out of 10 couples while 38% will opt for the flexibility of paying in installments. Help from parents and loved ones will also be favored by 37% of couples, whether it is a direct financial contribution or taking charge of certain expenses. Among the complementary solutions is also credit, considered by 1 in 5 couples.

« Our Sofinscope 2024 study on weddings highlights two strong trends: the desire for future brides and grooms to organize a more environmentally friendly event with the use of second-hand goods and committed service providers; And also the desire for a more minimalist wedding, particularly for budgetary reasons. The sector has every interest in adapting to these new trends and making the organization of an eco-responsible wedding accessible to as many people as possible.» Franck Oniga, CEO of Sofinco

Any total or partial publication must use the following mention: “Sofinscope – OpinionWay Barometer for Sofinco”.

Sofinco Press Contact: Claire Garcia - presse@ca-cf.fr  / +33(0)6 80 41 17 77

About Sofinscope
Sofinscope is the barometer of Sofinco, a Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance brand. Intended to survey the French on their consumption habits and to better understand them, this barometer which is part of the daily lives of the French is produced by OpinionWay for Sofinco, using representative samples of the French population.
This study was carried out on a sample of 1,027 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over. The sample was constituted using the quota method, taking into account the criteria of sex, age, socio-professional category, urban area category and region of residence. The interviews were carried out from January 31 to February 1, 2024 by self-administered online questionnaire on the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) system.
All results are available online on the website Sofinscope : le baromètre de la consommation et du quotidien par Sofinco