Trappings of a modern Gen Z wedding: TikTok-first inspo, AI, GLP-1s, vintage décor & the toss💐
The time has come. The “rizz", “no cap,” “delulu” generation has grown up and is tying the knot.
As they plan their nuptials, GenZers, who are digital natives from birth, are unabashedly reimagining the idea of a modern wedding. They’re embracing a TikTok-first approach to the celebration, leaning on AI as a task manager and turning to the latest self-care approaches, such as GLP-1s, in the run-up to their big day.
Still, they haven’t abandoned age-old traditions completely, according to Zola, a wedding planning platform and registry service, which surveyed more than 11,500 couples (in October and November 2025) for its 2026 First Look Report, its fifth annual deep dive into how currently engaged couples are planning their weddings.
GenZers, for the first time, made up the majority of survey respondents (51%), surpassing Millennials, said Zola co-CEO and co-founder Shan-Lyn Ma, who discussed the report in a call with reporters.
“2026 is the year that Gen Z officially hit the average age to get married in the US,” said Ma, adding that the average age of respondents was 28. “Our report doesn’t only highlight the biggest trends shaping weddings but also how these trends shift across generations.”
Here are some of the key findings in the report:
📲TikTok ready: Couples are bringing a TikTok-first approach to wedding planning by focusing on creating moments from the event that are memorable, shareable and cinematic, said Ma.
“Social media is where we are seeing a clear generational split between couples in their 20s and 30s,” said Shelby Wax, a wedding expert and consultant, in regard to the findings. She said weddings have become a multimedia moment for couples as they plan for the event to live online, too.
“TikTok and even Reddit are part of everyday life now, so they’ve become part of wedding planning as well,” Wax said, adding that Pinterest still ranks as the No. 1 platform for overall wedding inspiration.
✨AI helper: AI adoption for wedding planning has surged nearly 150% from last year, the report said, as couples “treat it like a logistical assistant to help answer questions, draft emails, and manage budgets and timelines.”
“AI is stepping in as a major support system when it comes to logistical tasks around wedding,” Ma said.
But there is a line that couples aren’t ready to cross, which is to use AI to write their vows and speeches. Only 10% of couples in the survey said they were writing their vows with the help of AI.
💆🏻♀️Spending on self-care: Couples are spending an average of $1,100 on beauty treatments (on top of their average total wedding cost), maintaining and improving their physical health, and mental wellbeing ahead of their wedding.
“For couples investing in higher-cost updates, like cosmetic procedures or GLP-1s, total spending climbs to over $2,000,” said Wax. According to the survey, 10% of couples are currently using a GLP-1 weight loss medication, while another 10% are actively considering them.
“More than half of the 20% said their wedding played a motivating role in trying GLP-1s or considering them,” Wax said.
👗Vintage vibes: Vintage (and pre-loved) décor woven into the aesthetic for weddings, wildflower arrangements that are less polished and structured, “first looks” with friends and family, dedications to charitable causes, curated cocktails and mocktails, personalized catering with global menus and grazing tables are all on the rise.
One old-school tradition, however, that is still going strong is the bouquet toss. The survey found 40% of GenZers are tossing the bouquet at their wedding.
⛪️Planning before proposal: Nearly one in five couples are getting into the weeds of wedding planning — touring and booking a venue, for example — even before the proposal, according to the survey results. “This trend is representative of the idea that engagements are no longer surprises,” said Wax. While the proposal remains an emotional moment, she said it is “increasingly the culmination of a decision that couples made together rather than a starting line of the process.”
💰Budgets: “Couples are budgeting for their weddings while feeling worried about the economy and tariffs,” said Ma. Zola estimates the average cost of a wedding in 2026 to be $36,000 (with an average guest count of 145), on par with last year, but up from an average cost of $29,000 in 2023.
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