Charli XCX marries The 1975’s George Daniel in east London

Amy Parfett, co-founder of digital wedding platform Wedshed, says registry office weddings have been booming since COVID, when they were a necessity due to restrictions on large gatherings.

“I think a lot of people saw those weddings – how lovely, low-key, chilled they were – and thought, ‘You know what, that’s actually what I want.’”

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She thinks cost-of-living pressures (compared with the $35,313 the average couple spends on weddings, according to a 2025 industry report, registry weddings start at $390 in Victoria and $480 in NSW), as well as a desire for more intimacy around the ceremony itself, are driving the trend.

“Once upon a time, couples might have felt pressure to follow the spectacle of getting married in front of everyone. Many couples we work with have decided to have a private ceremony, and then will regroup with all of their friends and family later on for a meal and bigger celebration.”

Jye Marshall, a fashion lecturer at Swinburne University in Melbourne, thinks the decline in religious ceremonies is part of it too. In 2023, 83 per cent of weddings were performed by civil celebrants, up from 72.5 per cent in 2013.

“It’s much more about celebrating two people that have come together in love, and therefore people are much more willing to take a less formal approach, which is a very Australian approach as well,” says Marshall.

Parfett is happy to see more public figures opt out of the big wedding.

“When you see celebrities like Charli XCX, it also legitimises [registry office weddings] as aspirational,” she says.

The rise of the micro wedding

Zena Lythgo is a civil celebrant and business partner with I Do Drive Thru Weddings, which offers elopements and micro weddings – smaller, budget friendly weddings – Australia-wide.

Founded in 2020, I Do Drive Thru rode the wave of pandemic weddings, as couples were forced into intimate celebrations and many sought out more affordable options. But five years later, Lythgo says business is still booming.

“It continues to grow because there are so many considerations when it comes to having a big wedding. Some of them are financial, some of them are stress and planning something to that scale, and for others it just doesn’t suit their personality,” she says.

“People are realising you don’t have to do that. You can get married in whatever way you want to, and it can be really affordable, simple and reflect who you are.”

Wedded Wonderland’s 2025 industry report found that guest-list numbers have been shrinking over the past three years, while there has been a 12 per cent increase year-on-year in weddings with 11 to 30 guests.

Laid-back fashion

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Registry weddings, and their more laid-back style, have long elicited a certain manner of dress. Think Carrie Bradshaw’s elegant vintage skirt suit for her city hall wedding at the end of the first Sex and the City film.

Charli XCX opted for a cropped gown.

“People are going for more non-traditional wedding dresses. They’re selecting brighter colours, they’re happy to show some leg,” says Marshall.

“[Brides] are selecting dresses that actually represent their identity, which I think is what a wedding dress should be all about.”

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