It’s neither your imagination nor a measure of your popularity: you most likely are getting fewer wedding invitations in the mail these days, and it’s just a sign of our cultural times.
In 2005 the average bride was 25.5 years of age, and her betrothed was likely 27. Today the woman in white is, on average, pushing 28 and her groom is almost thirty-something. The whole process is occurring later in life. “Couples are taking longer to actually get engaged to then get married,” says Natalie Dawley, wedding planner and owner of Two Be Wed in Houston. And their idea of the ideal wedding changes with age. “Their priorities have changed from when they were in their early 20’s. The priority is not a huge wedding. It’s more of an intimate gathering with the people closest to them,” Dawley tells KTRH News.
While this is a national phenomenon, we’re experiencing it differently on the Gulf coast. “I do believe the economy has something to do with that. Especially in Houston, we had a slump in the oil and gas industry and that slowed things down,” she says. And with costs what they are, people are adjusting appropriately. “The average Houston wedding is about $35,000, and that’s based on 150 guests invited to the wedding,” says Dawley.