Perth wedding trends: Why more couples are shunning big, expensive ceremonys in favour of the ‘minimony’

More people are getting married in WA than ever before, but a growing number of couples are shunning big, expensive weddings in favour of no-fuss “minimonies”. The cost-of-living crisis is in part responsible for the trend, with couples seeking out more affordable registry office ceremonies, at-home weddings and elopements. According to the WA Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, a record 13,367 weddings took place last year. And new figures reveal couples are shelling out an average of $33,472 to tie the knot in WA. The data, from Easy Weddings, shows the average cost has increased $3000 in just two years. Wedding vendors believe these ballooning costs are prompting more people to seek out simple, budget-friendly options. The Perth Registry Office has experienced a 20 per cent surge in popularity, overseeing 799 weddings across the 2023-24 financial year, while private registry businesses have also reported a huge increase in demand. Celebrant Amanda Rowe started offering registry-style ceremonies, minimonies and elopements from her West Leederville home in late 2023 after observing a shift in what her clients wanted out of their big day. “A bunch of people were coming my way that didn’t want to do the big, fancy wedding. They are saying, ‘We don’t want to spend $30,000 on a wedding, we want to put that on the house and set up a future’,” she said. “Or they might have a child or two and their priority is their kids. And these are people who can afford big weddings, but they say, ‘No, not anymore’.” Her House of Vows packages start from a $425 30-minute “legals only” package with two witnesses up to $795 minimonies for 10 guests, which includes champagne and 10 Polaroid pictures — with the option to add on a professional photographer. Perth couple Sarah Brunton and and Michael Clapperton were among the 100 couples married by Ms Rowe last year. They had just Mr Clapperton’s parents as witnesses before going out for dinner at Cottesloe restaurant Indigo Oscar. They initially had plans for a big wedding in England, where they are from, which they postponed twice after Ms Brunton fell pregnant with their son and later when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After printing the invites for their third attempt, Ms Brunton realised it wasn’t what she wanted. “I took a step back and said, ‘You know what, I don’t want to do this. I want to get married, but I don’t want all the frills’,” she said. “I thought if we’re going to do it, it’s going to be intimate, and that’s what we did. I think we annoyed a few people in the process, so that would be the only negative. “I don’t really like having all eyes on me and I liked the ease of (a small ceremony), it fitted with our lifestyles, we are easygoing. You can be who you want to be and there’s no expectations.” The low cost also appealed. “There is a lot of financial pressure on people, they may want to get married but can’t afford the big wedding,” Ms Brunton said. But the trend is not just for the budget conscious, with vendors saying many couples could afford a big wedding, but simply chose not to. Celebrities are also embracing the no-fuss ceremony, with Australian actor Naomi Watts famously stepping out onto the front steps of the New York City Courthouse after marrying actor Billy Crudup in 2023. The privately owned Perth Marriage Office also offers minimonies, or micro-weddings, from the heritage-listed Old Tower House in Northbridge with options for 10, 25 or 50 guests. Shannon Fleming, a wedding celebrant and operations manager from the Marriage Office, said she had noticed an increase in practicality when it came to wedding budgets. “People are wanting simplicity, they can enjoy the intimacy of the ceremony, and what marriage is all about, rather than all the bells and whistles,” she said. “I was at a beautiful park wedding on Saturday where they ordered food from Costco, somebody made a cake and they had 20 people for a brunch-style wedding and it’s exactly what they wanted. “I’ve been a celebrant for 15 years and it’s nice from my point of view that people are focusing on the ceremony, what they are saying to each other, rather than just being for Instagram. “I say to clients all the time, there’s no point having to extend your mortgage or sell your first born for the sake of what, eight or 10 hours.” Carm and Paul Reign opted for a ceremony with Ms Fleming at Old Tower House last September. They invited 50 guests for the brief ceremony then went to a bar in the city to celebrate afterwards. Mr Reign said the couple wanted to invest money in their future instead of spending it on their wedding day. “I’ve known people who paid six figures for a wedding and I could not justify spending a house deposit on a day that’s really for everyone else,” Mr Reign said. “We spent less than five figures.” Mrs Reign said the couple couldn’t have been happier as they had the “wedding of their dreams” while prioritising what really mattered to them.