What Gen Z really thinks about modern wedding culture

(Photo by fabio guntur via Unsplash)

Weddings remain an important tradition, but Gen Z is increasingly questioning the expectations that come with them.

A new survey of 2,000 Gen Z adults (aged 22+) found that nearly seven in 10 (69%) believe weddings today feel more like a production than a personal celebration.

Commissioned by Affirm and conducted by Talker Research, the survey reveals a generation that isn't rejecting weddings themselves — but is pushing back on the growing costs, obligations, and expectations surrounding them.

In fact, when asked to describe modern weddings in a single word, "expensive" was the most common response (20%).

For those who would like to get married, more than nine in 10 respondents (92%) said they would be willing to break from traditional wedding expectations if it meant reducing cost or stress, including 45% who said they are "very willing" to do so.

Notably, 60% said they don't feel pressure to match the scale or expectations of weddings they've seen others have, when thinking about their future wedding.

“Wedding culture has ballooned into a performance, and Gen Z is pausing to ask: what parts of this actually matter to us, and what parts just feel like we’re doing them because we’re ‘supposed to?’” said Claire Battista, Gen Z Trends Expert at Affirm. “And what the data makes clear is: we’re not opting out of weddings or celebrations. But we are being more intentional about what’s actually worth our time, energy and money.”

(Photo by Juris Freidenfelds via Pexels)

The cost of celebrating

For many respondents, wedding culture comes with significant financial pressure.

Three-quarters (75%) said today's wedding culture creates pressure to spend money they don't actually want to spend.

More than one in four (28%) said wedding expectations have created tension between them and a friend, with the most common source of friction being pressure to spend more money than they felt comfortable with (34%).

Travel appears to be one of the biggest pain points. Travel and accommodations ranked as the hardest wedding-related expense to justify (30%), and respondents said that, on average, wedding-related travel costs become difficult to justify once they exceed $1,239.

Destination bachelor and bachelorette trips are also losing some of their appeal: nearly half (44%) described them as fun but often too expensive, compared to just 28% who said they're worth the cost.

(Photo by Sue Winston via Unsplash)

A different vision for weddings

The findings suggest that weddings are still important to Gen Z — as only 10% of unmarried respondents said they don’t want to get married or have a wedding. But they are reimagining what weddings look like.

Forty percent of unmarried respondents said their dream wedding is smaller and more intimate, compared to just 19% who envision a large, traditional wedding.

When asked which wedding trends they view most positively, respondents pointed to personalized details (31%), budget-conscious or DIY elements (30%) and smaller guest lists (29%).

And if they could redirect wedding-related spending elsewhere, nearly half (46%) said they would put it toward saving or investing. Others would prioritize a future purchase such as a home or car (38%), a honeymoon or trip (38%), or other travel experiences (32%).

The findings point to a generation that still wants to celebrate life's biggest milestones, while rethinking the expectations and expenses that have accumulated around them.

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Gen Z Americans (aged 22+) who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Affirm and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 7–13, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.