Home > Pregnant Brides

Pregnant brides are nothing new ... in fact, in the 19th century, it's estimated that half of the brides exchanging their vows were pregnant.

But, as there was often a stigma attached to 'brides with bellies' maternity weddings were sometimes less joy-filled than 'traditional' weddings.

Luckily for modern brides, attitudes have changed dramatically and in most societies having a pregnant bride in the family is no longer seen as shameful.

But, no one has ever surveyed this group of women before ...

Throughout 2011 we surveyed women from around the world who had been or were about to be maternity brides. Here is what these brides told us:

How old are maternity brides?

• 47% of maternity brides are 21 or under;
• less than 13% are over 30 years old,
• only 4% are over the age of 40.

This is a stark contrast to figures from the UK Office for National Statistics that show the average age of first-time brides in the UK reaching 30.1 in the second quarter of 2010.

Shotgun Wedding?

64% of the brides who answered the survey were not planning their wedding when they discovered thyey were pregnant.

How much do pregnant brides have to spend on their weddings (including their dress)?

According to the Daily Mail, the average cost of a wedding in the UK dropped from a high of £20,000 in 2008 to £15,500 in the tough economy of 2011. But even £15,500 is beyond the budget of most maternity brides

• 17% have less than £500 to spend on their wedding
• 22% told us their budget was between £500 and £1,000
• 35% spent between £1,000 an £5,000
• 9% have between £5,000 and £10,000 to spend getting married
• almost 20% have deeper pockets with more than £10,000 to celebrate their big day with

Just how pregnant is the average maternity bride?

• 17% make it down the aisle before their bump is showing (up to 12 weeks)
• 52% are 2nd trimester brides
• 31% leave it to the last minute and are very pregnant 3rd trimester brides - who definitely need a maternity wedding dress for their baby bumps!

How long is there to plan maternity weddings?

• 17% sprint down the aisle within a month of their engagement
• Almost half (48%) of pregnant brides have only 1 to 3 months for all their wedding planning
• 30% have 4 to 6 months to organise everything for their big day
• less than 5% have the luxury of more than 6 months to plan and create their dream wedding day

What sort of honeymoons do expectant brides have?

• 35% are traditional, taking their honeymoon immediately after their weddiing
• 26% delay plans for a honeymoon until after their baby is born
• But 39% take no honeymoon at all

Who pays for maternity weddings?

When it comes to wedding finances, there's a fairly even mix of contributors:

• The bride's family pay for 22% of maternity weddings
• In 17% of weddings, both families contribute towards wedding expenses
• The groom's family pay for 13% of maternity weddings
• 13% of couples pay for their own weddings
• Almost 35% of maternity weddings are paid for by the couple themselves, with contributions from both families

What do pregnant brides wear?

• The vast majority (57%) choose a maternity wedding dress
• 30% still manage to wear a non-maternity wedding dress
• 4% select a white or light coloured dress (not a wedding dress or a maternity dress)
• A A white or light coloured maternity dress (not a wedding dress) is chosen by 9% of maternity brides

What do maternity brides spend on their wedding dress?

• 17% have less than £200 to spend on a wedding dress
• 21% spend between £200 and £399
• 21% spend between £400 and £599
• 17% have a budget of £600 and £1,000 for their maternity wedding dress
• 17% plan to invest between £1,000 and £3,000 in the dress of their dreams
• And 12% want to spend more than £3,000 on a real statement dress

Have Your Say

Are you a pregnant bride or have you been one? Please share your experiences in our 2012 survey of maternity brides here!