12 Gen X Wedding Traditions That Gen Z Brides Are Outright Rejecting
Have we finally met the smartest generation of wives-to-be?
IVASHstudio | Shutterstock Younger generations are great at learning from the older generation's mistakes, and weddins are no exception. Many Gen Z and younger Millennial brides look to older generations not just for what works, but also for traditions that should be left behind.
This isn't much of a surprise. After all, Pew Research Center data shows that Gen Z reflects different values than their parents and grandparents and is perfeclty comfortable saying, "no things!" to anything that doesn't work for them. To learn more, we spoke with young brides (and some of their moms) about what wedding traditions they will be neglecting this time around.
Gen X and Millennial wedding day traditions Gen Z outright rejects
1. Spending way too much money on the wedding
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When Gen X and Boomers got married, they could imagine buying a house immediately after. Those days are long gone, especially if you spend a ton of money on your wedding. Instead, more Gen Z (and even younger Millennials) are having small, simple weddings with the people they love most and saving their money for a home somewhere down the line.
2. Dad 'giving away' his daughter
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Back in the day, the bride walked down the aisle with her father, with an officiant asking the dad if he gives the daughter to be wed to the groom. The father would then nod and pass his daughter off to the groom.
"When my dad asked if he could walk me down the aisle, I was like, 'Obviously! But Mom raised me, too, you know!' and we all laughed," says Nyla, 24. Instead, Nyla and her husband, Ricky, will each be walked down the aisle with their parents and there will be no "giving away" for either.
3. Spending too much time walking the room
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"One of the things that I wish I didn't do at my wedding," says Sarah, 50, "was waste the whole night walking around and talking to our guests. I didn't even get to dance or drink champagne. It took forever to walk the room and thank people for coming. That's why I made a point to remind my 27-year-old daughter to sit down and enjoy her meal and time with her new husband before their wedding."
4. Letting stress take over
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"Hindsight is 20/20, I know," says Christie, 44, "but I look back on all the time I wasted stressed out and I want to smack myself! It's just a wedding. Yes, it's an important day in your life — but it's going to be perfect no matter how much planning you put into it. So one thing I'd definitely change was how much anxiety I felt before my big day. My husband wasn't stressed — so why was I?"
Gen Z is hearing stories like this as a rallying cry and deciding they're just going to let their weddings be "good enough", and that is such a smart choice.
5. Trying to fit into a smaller size gown
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Back in the day, women would go to extreme lengths to wear as small a size as possible for their wedding day. These days, brides want to be comfortable and are less likely to buy into the idea that there's only one way to look great on the big day.
"Someone asked me if I was cutting calories for the big day and I was honestly shocked. What a rude question!" says Sophia, age 27.
6. Formal reception lines
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Back in the day, the bride and groom stood at the entrance to their reception and shook everyone's hands, along with their parents. For most Gen Zs, that tradition feels awkward and forced, so they're ditching it.
Mya, a 25-year-old who has been married six months, shared the following: "My grandmother said she wanted to meet all of the in-laws this way and said it's how it was done at her wedding in the 1970s. I was like, 'I love you, Gran, but that would be way too awkward today!' so I just made a point to introduce her at the party."
7. Having too much alcohol
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"My dad told me he was way too drunk at their wedding and my mom agreed," laughs Jess, 25. "Before we said our 'I dos', I took a shot with my bridesmaids to calm my nerves and then remembered what my parents said and had my little brother run out and get me an oat milk latte so I wouldn't crash and feel like I needed to keep drinking."
This trend tracks with Gen Z alcohol consumption overall. 45% of Gen Zers say they’ve never had an alcoholic drink in their lives. according to a NielsenIQ study.
8. Formal professional photos
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"Listen, I love my mom's photos from her 1990s wedding," says Kelleigh, 29, "but they feel strangely formal now."
Instead, Kelleigh hired a semi-professional photographer for just an hour to come right before the wedding. "She took a few 'getting ready' photos, a few while we walked down the aisle, and some cute Pinterest-worthy couples shots and a few family group shots after. Why would we need 4 hours worth of pictures when everyone has a phone?"
9. Not eating at the reception
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"Do you know how much it costs to eat at a wedding?," Cait, 27, asks. "Before the wedding, I kept telling myself 'Don't worry, I'm going to eat, I'll have a plate.' But then you're three-quarters of the way through the reception and you haven't even touched your appetizers yet because you're too busy smiling and pretending you're not, actually, starving!"
Whenever any of my friends comment on how good the food was, I can't even pretend like I know what they’re talking about — I never had a chance to eat anything!"
Now Cait tells all her friends not to make the same mistakes and has pledged to be the "make sure you eat" friend when her friends get married someday.
10. Only men standing for a groom and only women standing with the bride
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"My mom is shocked that my husband has women in his 'groomsmen' list but that makes no sense to me. His best friend is his cousin, who is a woman, and I have two men in my bridal party anyway — my gay best friend who is my man of honor, and my brother, Henry. I cannot imagine it any other way," says Michaeline, age 30.
11. Straight, traditional spouses
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This one is obvious, but Gen Z is over the oppressive binaries that were enforced on older generations.
"Obviously, Lainey and I are going to get married and have a wedding, just like my older sister and brother did when they committed to their partners. I feel a lot of grief for the people who came before us who couldn't marry the people they loved — or whose family wouldn't show up if they did," says Clare, age 24.
12. Father-daughter dances
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Daughters are still dancing with fathers at Gen Z weddings, but that's not the only person they'll honor. These days, daughters do fun dances with their moms, stepdads, siblings and more ... and grooms do the same.
"The 'daddy-daughter date night' model is weird and patriarchal anyway," says Millie, age 28. "I'll dance with my dad but it's not like a big formal thing like it's the Dark Ages or something."
Kylie M. is a freelance writer and managing editor at Elite Daily.