The 2026 Feed Me Bridal Survey.
"Answering these questions made me grateful I got married before social media took over our lives."
Good afternoon, everyone.
Last month, I asked all of you to consider taking a “Bride Survey.” I got married last year and I’m just constantly surprised by the fact that despite there being infinite information out there about weddings for brides-to-be, and endless post-wedding group chats, there’s often that one thing that happened during the planning process that doesn’t get disclosed until years later.
I received 406 responses: a 60-year-old woman who got married in Capri when she was 37; a 38-year-old divorcee whose wedding went over-budget; a 24-year-old whose friends started treating her like an “old lady”; a 34-year-old who smuggled cocaine into the Bahamas for her guests; and, well, 402 others.
The results of this survey have advice (“Click ‘uninterested’ in any wedding-related Instagram suggested post to fix the algorithm nightmare.”), financial regrets (“Flying in hair and makeup to Martha’s Vineyard.”), and one affair. May the Bride Survey guide you through your own future wedding or the minefield of weddings and bachelorette parties this spring, summer, and fall.
406 brides responded to the survey. Their weddings happened all around the world — Cape Cod, Big Sur, Telluride, Capri, Udaipur, Buenos Aires, and Paris. That said, 21% of respondents got married in the New York area.
Only 39% of respondents had sex on their wedding night.
The average age of respondents was 30, the youngest being 25 and the oldest being 67.
25-year-old who got married at 24 on Long Island.
What was the most expensive beauty or wellness treatment you did before your wedding? “Manicure and pedicure for $100. Didn’t do any other ‘treatments,’ and I’ve only gotten my nails done a couple times in my life so it was a nice treat.”
Did any friendships change over your wedding? “I was the first in my friend group to get married - I definitely felt like people treated me differently afterwards, almost like I was an ‘old lady.’ I had acquaintances who were angry that they weren’t invited, but overall the wedding itself didn’t change much.”
What is the most honest advice you would give a future bride? “Building a strong relationship with a church can help so much - ours let us have our reception for almost free in the basement. If you really lean into having an old-fashioned, simple, whimsical wedding, you can invite a lot of people for not that much money, and people will still have a great time.”
Tell us something about your wedding that you’ve never told anyone. “I totally blacked out at the after-party - I don’t remember any of it but pretend that I do. No regrets.”
What is the most honest advice you would give a future bride?
“1990 was, obviously, very different. My main regret about my wedding is my groom.” (63-year-old who got married at 26 in Nashville)
“If money is a finite resource for you, really flash forward two, five, ten years and consider how this money spent on a wedding could change your life in new, unexpected ways. I’m now able to quit my job and pursue a 12-week culinary program because I didn’t spend all my disposable income on an elaborate wedding and my life with my partner is rich in fun because we have the spare money saved that we didn’t spend on a wedding. The wedding is the start of your life together, what do you want that life to look like?” (32-year-old who got married at 30 in Phoenix, AZ)
“Have sex in the morning!” (32-year-old who got married at 31 in Los Angeles)
“Elope! It’s so worth it. My wedding, including the dress, cost $250, and we were just as married as if we’d spent 100x as much. Some family were annoyed after the fact (not my dad, though, who was thrilled), but no one actually cared after a year or two. This was my second wedding, and I had a big party the first time around, mostly to make everyone else happy. I learned my lesson and didn’t do it again.” (45-year-old who got married at 33 in Savannah, GA)
“You have most leverage during the signing phase during vendor negotiations, don’t be afraid to lowball.” (29-year-old who got married at 28 in Toronto)
“Invite people you want to have in your life in 10 years. We invited new-to-us friends at the time and are so happy we did. Do thank you notes right away. Go on a honeymoon or small trip the week after the wedding. You need some time to decompress.” (37-year-old that got married at 32)
“Put your phone away, social media specifically. I haven’t been on social media for a long time (except for Substack and LinkedIn) and it has given me back my sanity. My husband and I are now in an age where a lot of our friends are getting engaged/married, so we’ve been attending bachelorette parties and weddings. It’s really sad to me how so many brides feel the pressure to have THE bachelorette (clubbing, renting a boat, etc.) or to be SKINNY or have long hair for their wedding day. I don’t understand why women feel the need to fit themselves to certain standards that society created? Most of those friends did not enjoy themselves on their big day…they were fixated on how they look in photos, who is posting what video of her on Instagram, whether her clubbing dress makes her look slim enough, etc. Anyways, my advice is just please stay yourself!” (26-year-old who got married at 23 in New York City)