What Gen Z really thinks about modern wedding culture

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.â€

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.

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.