July 19, 2018

Current Marriage Trends

Key data analyzed in book published by Matrimonio.com

  • Matrimonio.com presents The Marriage White Paper, a collection of research focused on Italian weddings, in collaboration with the ESADE Business School and Google.
  • In the Marriage White Paper, key elements of the industry are analyzed, identifying current trends of the Wedding sector. Both from the point of view of couples and that of vendors.

Milan, July 19, 2018Matrimonio.com, the leading Italian wedding websitel, in collaboration with Professor Carles Torrecilla, of the ESADE Business School, and Google, presents the “The Marriage White Paper: latest trends, challenges, reality and illusion. Holistic research of the wedding sector”. The survey provides a complete overview of the process behind preparing and organizing contemporary marriages, based on questionnaires distributed to couples and wedding professionals, as well as on the basis of the latest sector trends identified by Google. The book’s preface, edited by Luana Carcano, SDA Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the SDA Bocconi, frames the study on Italian companies, which are increasingly focused on “Premium” positioning.

According to the data, more than 200,000 marriages are celebrated each year in Italy (an average of 3.5 marriages per year per 1,000 inhabitants) with the most popular wedding months during warm weather. This peaks in September, with more than 37,200 marriages taking[1] place.

There is a clear trend that the profile of future newlyweds is changing. Today’s couples are increasingly better informed and have clear expectations. In recent years, as many as 62% of companies say they have noticed changes in the type of couples they have worked with. We are faced with an increasingly diverse market, an effect of the increasing average age of couples (on average 33.5 years).

According to the data emerging from the Matrimonio.com survey, most couples start planning the wedding 12 months in advance. Furthermore, the research and inspirational process behind planning is becoming increasingly digitized. 88% of couples look for wedding ideas on the internet and 54% browse online to find vendors for products and services.

On average, Italians spend € 23,970 on their weddings. According to the results analyzed by the site, there is a marked difference between northern and southern Italy. In the north, an average of € 22,103 is spent, while in the south costs can reach up to €30,337. The typical Italian wedding has an average of 114 guests. Yet, even this figure varies significantly between the peninsula’s north and south. The 100 average guests in the north, rise to 118 in the central regions and peak at 138 in the south.

These are only some of the key findings uncovered in the survey carried out by Matrimonio.com. Painting a complete overview of the wedding industry, in which other key data points are also analyzed, such as: the profile of couples, factors influencing the choice of dress, accessories and the latest market trends.

[1] Source: ISTAT 2016

“This book was created with the aim of shedding light on the current nuptial sector, analyzing it from a dual perspective. Married couples on one hand, and vendors on the other”, explains Nina Pérez, CEO of Matrimonio.com. “This research goes far beyond the descriptive, economic or socio-demographic information typical of this kind of research. We have decided to base ourselves in the questions wedding professionals and are happy to say that the company’s’ participation rate in the research has been very high. There are increasing signs of a trend towards digitalization and a clear desire to improve, which has always been a feature of our sector”.

What clearly emerges from the Marriage White Paper is that the wedding sector is more active than ever and full of opportunities for companies willing to evolve by meeting the needs of the market and expectations of couples.

The Marriage White Paper can be downloaded for free in pdf format on the Matrimonio.com website: https://www.matrimonio.com/landings/libro-bianco

Methodology of the “The Marriage White Paper”
We have devised a rigorous research method based on a series of statistical samples and relevance of the data compared. The data is presented via reports and final conclusions using 1) Secondary reference sources: Istat, (National Institute of Statistics) Research Studies and previous information from Matrimonio.com; 2) Questionnaires administered through online platforms using specialized databases (belonging to the sector in question): 5396 completed questionnaires (2911 married couples and 2485 companies in the sector); 3) Data shared by Google regarding the latest trends; 4) Qualitative meeting with experts in the sector.

About Matrimonio.com
Matrimonio.com is part of the WeddingWire group. It was created to help newlyweds prepare for the happiest day of their lives. Thanks to its international presence, it has created the largest bridal community and the world’s largest virtual wedding market. It has a detailed database with more than 400.000 professionals from the wedding sector and provides couples with the tools for: preparing their guest list, managing the budget, searching for suppliers, etc. The WeddingWire group operates in 15 countries with different domains such as bodas.net, WeddingWire.com, matrimonio.com, mariages.net, casamentos.pt, bodas.com.mx, casamentos.com.br, matrimonio.com.co, matrimonios.cl, casamientos.com.ar, matrimonio.com.pe, Weddingspot.co.uk, casamiento.com.uy, weddingwire.ca and weddings.co.in

About ESADE and ESADE Alumni
Founded in 1958, ESADE Business & Law School has offices in Barcelona and Madrid and is present in São Paulo, Lima, Mexico City, Bogotá, Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires. The company has collaboration agreements with over one hundred universities and business schools all over the world. Every year, more than 11.000 students participate in its courses (MBA, Executive Education, Bachelors and Masters in Business Management and Law). ESADE Alumni, the ex-students association ESADE has a network of 60.000 alumni in positions of responsibility in companies on five continents. Through 72 professional groups, it promotes continuous training, professional development and entrepreneurial initiative. It has an international network of 126 nationalities in over 100 countries and since 2007 has run the ESADE Alumni Solidario project. This counts on more than 1.500 alumni have contributed their talent, experience and management skills with more than 200 organizations from the third sector. The association has a network of investors, ESADE BAN, recognized as the best private business angels network in Europe by the European Business Angel Network (EBAN). ESADE also participates in the ESADECREAPOLIS business park, a pioneering center dedicated to innovation. A space for universities and companies to come together. With a clear international calling, ESADE systematically maintains its position in the top global positions in the main business school rankings (Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist and América Economía). ESADE is a member of Ramon Lull University.