Suntans & Instagrams: New Research Reveals Modern Day Bride Worries

Woman sits nervously on a bench against a white background


We’re really grateful to Hitched.co.uk for sharing the results of their recent survey of 2,000 brides with us, but isn’t it a shame that so many women worry unnecessarily about their wedding day?

We’d love to know what you think about the numbers below.  Did you suffer from any jitters before your ceremony? If not, how did you cope with anxiety both in the lead-up to your wedding and on the day itself? 


Findings released today from Hitched confirm the nation’s biggest wedding worries. Hitched asked over 2,000 brides what they found themselves worrying about ahead of their big day to reveal the UK’s modern bridal worries from social media, to tanning and drunken family members.

The number one worry for nearly three quarters (69%) of brides is the way they will look in their wedding photos. Younger brides worry about this 25% more than older brides, with almost four in five younger brides worrying about the way they will look.

Close up on a bride's hands and white dress detail



The top 10 biggest bridal worries according to the new hitched.co.uk research:


1. The way they’ll look in photos (69%)
2. Their weight (59%)
3. The weather (57%)
4. Saving enough for the day (53%)
5. Their hair and make-up (50%)
6.  Blowing their budget / Being centre of attention (45%)
7.  Paying for deposits / Walking down the aisle (39%)
8.  Feeling stressed / Their guests having fun (38%)
9.  Upsetting uninvited friends (37%)
10. Their bridesmaids being comfortable in their dresses (36%)


Social media plays a central role in most of our lives and is now making a huge impact on the modern day wedding. The survey findings suggest that social media is fuelling anxiety and worries for the modern day bride with more than one in 10 brides (16%) admitting they wouldn’t want a guest to upload a photo before they did.

Scottish brides are the biggest social media stressers as almost three-quarters of brides admit to worrying about social media. In comparison, one in three North-Eastern Brides and just over one in 10 (14%) in London, the South West and South East worry about social media.


Clean white background with close up of hands holding a wedding planning with baby's breath flowers and a phone on the table



Shockingly, brides in the UK are more worried about their tans than being left at the altar. More than one in 10 (13%) of brides worry about their glow ahead of the big day, in comparison to only 5% who think there is a chance of being left at the altar. Unsurprisingly, this trend is more apparent in younger brides who were born after the 90’s (16.8%) than older brides born in the 60’s (3.9%).

What better way to relax after the wedding formalities than with a glass of bubbly, or three? More than one in 10 (12%) UK brides admitted that they were worried about drinking too much on their big day, with this figure increasing to one in 6 Welsh brides.

And it’s not just themselves drinking too much that brides are worried about. Almost one in four (23%) worried about their guests getting too drunk, with brides in the South West worrying about this the most (29%).

Sarah Allard, Editor of hitched.co.uk comments:

“Every bride wants their wedding day to be perfect. They’ve spent months, if not years planning the day and with that comes a huge amount of pressure to ensure everything runs smoothly. Although it’s easy to get caught up worrying about your weight or the weather, it’s important to remember why you’re having a wedding in the first place. Once the day arrives, you’ll be having too much fun with your new husband or wife and family and friends to notice a bit of drizzle or if your hair is out of place!”

It's pretty terrifying, isn't it? So many women putting themselves under undue pressure for what should be the happiest day of their lives.  We'd love to hear what you did to stay calm on your wedding day, and if you weren't able to keep the anxiety at bay then what do you wish you'd done? 

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