Tissues at the ready

Posted by Danielle Harvey on 7 July 2019

Tissues at the ready: Image 1 Wedding insurance provider, Protectivity, has surveyed 1,000 people to find out which moments of a wedding cause us to tear up and reach for a tissue, as well as the moments we reach for our phones, either out of boredom or to share the perfect snap on social media.

The UK average national wedding spend is now £17,674 with the average engagement lasting 20 months. With huge amounts of money and time spent planning every fine detail, couples will be striving for their guests to have a wonderful day full of moving and memorable moments.Emotions run high at weddings with love firmly in the air, but which moments have your guests reaching for the tissues the most? It turns out, the actual wedding rituals have little to do with the top spot, as 38% of people admit that it's seeing a long-lost friend or relative that is most likely to cause a tear. Happy couples who have spent a fortune catering for their many guests will be glad to hear that the least tearful moment of the day is the meal where just 19% of people said they're likely to cry.

Tissues at the ready: Image 2 Top five moments where wedding guests are most likely to cry are:
Event/moment % likely to cry

Seeing a long-lost friend or relative - 37.72%
During the 'I dos' - 36.03%
Bride aisle walk - 35.73%
Father-daughter dance - 34.53%
Goodbyes - 34.33%

Tissues at the ready: Image 3 It's no secret that we're a nation of phone addicts, but there are certain moments where our tech stay firmly in our pockets. At a wedding, the moments that hold our attention most and keep the phones at bay are when the couple walk down the aisle and exit the ceremony, the entrance of the bridal party and during the 'I dos'. It seems the moments where boredom creeps in and we find ourselves scrolling through our notifications is later on in the day, with 32% of people admitting to checking their phones due to boredom during the evening entertainment, 28% during the meal and 27% during the arrival at the venue.

Tissues at the ready: Image 4 Top 5 moments where we're most likely to check our phone due to boredom
Event/moment% that are checking phone due to boredom

Evening entertainment - 31.74%
During the meal - 28.34%
Arrival at the venue - 27.74%
The signing of the register - 27.54%
Wedding photos - 26.75%

Tissues at the ready: Image 5 Weddings tend to be full of flowers, beautiful dresses and picture-perfect moments so it's no surprise we're keen to share these experiences with our friends and followers. The most sharable moment according to the survey is the wedding photos, with 30% of us taking advantage of the professional photographer setting up that perfect snap.

Top 5 moments we're most likely to share on social media
Event/moment% sharing on social

Wedding photos - 30.44%
Cutting of the cake - 28.34%
Evening entertainment - 27.05%
Couples first dance - 29.24%
Seeing a long-lost friend or relative - 26.55%

Tissues at the ready: Image 6 Sean Walsh, marketing manager from Protectivity Insurance comments: It's clear to see that people in the UK love a wedding - from seeing long-lost friends and relatives to sharing the experience with others on social media, we love to get involved in our loved ones' special day. With a huge amount of time and money going into the big day it is interesting to see that the most emotional moment of the day has nothing to do with the bride or groom directly, but reuniting with that long-lost friend or relative. But, with all the love in the air, who can blame them!

About Protectivity:
Protectivity is a specialist in niche commercial, leisure and lifestyle insurance. We cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK, offering a range of tailored insurance products to protect our customers against unforeseen events.