The team at www.hampers.com, who strive to bring joy and wholehearted togetherness through gifting, recently undertook a study to determine the most popular dates for weddings in 2024, surveying almost 2,300 UK adults who were set to get married this year.
When asked what date they were getting married on, the most popular dates were found to be:
1. Saturday 24th August
2. Saturday 25th May
3. Saturday 25th July
4. Friday 2nd August
5. Saturday 14th September
Notably, the two dates that top the list both fall on Bank Holiday weekends within the UK, allowing for three-day weekends.
While Saturday was the most common day of the week to appear in the top five wedding dates for 2024, Friday was the overall most popular day amongst all respondents, accounting for 23% of all 2024 wedding bookings. In comparison, Saturday accounted for 20%, while Sunday followed closely at 18%.
When asked what factors they considered when choosing a date for their wedding, the top influences were found to be: the likelihood of good weather (59%), cost (56%), a significant date, i.e. an anniversary (45%) and ‘availability of friends and family’ (32%).
Those who chose to get married on a Saturday were asked to estimate how much money their overall wedding cost increased by, compared to the cost for a different day of the week, with the average found to be 48%. However, choosing a Saturday did allow relevant respondents to increase their wedding guest list by an additional 32 people, on average, due to better availability and fewer diary clashes for guests, such as work commitments.
Anyone getting married on a weekend date was asked if they would’ve given up their Saturday or Sunday wedding in place of a weekday one, if it meant significant financial savings, to which the majority (88%) said ‘no’. When asked why, the most common response was ‘concerns that important people wouldn’t be able to make it’.
Patrick Gore, Managing Director of www.hampers.com, commented on the study: “We were really surprised to see a Friday pop up in the top five most popular wedding dates of 2024 and that it was generally the most popular day of the week for weddings overall. Perhaps the cost-of-living crisis is encouraging people to look for opportunities to save money, as Fridays can be a little cheaper; however, this didn’t seem to be enough to tempt a lot of the weekend bride and grooms to book a weekday wedding. Many people would struggle to attend a weekday wedding, Friday or otherwise, due to work commitments or issues securing annual leave, but clearly this isn’t stopping couples from ploughing ahead and hoping for the best.
“Weddings are such a personal and joyous occasion, so all that should really matter is that the happy couple are content with their choices and the date when they’ll be saying ‘I do’. After all, those who really want to share in the wonderful celebration of their love will find a way to be there!”
About hampers.com
Based in Oxfordshire, it's one of the longest established and biggest hamper companies in the UK; starting life as Clearwater Hampers in 1979 and launching its ecommerce offering in 1996. With a product range spanning more than 300 hampers and gifts, hampers.com delivers excellent service and value for consumers and corporate customers alike; from occasion and seasonal gifting through to products for picnics, festivals, self-gifting, a ‘thank you’ or even a ‘just because’. hampers.com brings joy and wholehearted togetherness to the experience of gifting.
