Monday more popular wedding day
More than 78 thousand marriages and partnerships were registered in the Netherlands last year. The number of marriages and partnerships has fallen after 2010. Friday is still the most popular day to marry, but Monday is becoming increasingly popular.
Fewer marriages and partnership registrations
Approximately 69 thousand marriages and 9 thousand partnerships were registered in the Netherlands in 2012. The total number of official registrations has dropped by 14 percent since the turn of the century. The decline in the number of 20 to 50-year-olds – the age category to which most newlyweds belong – accounts for approximately one third of the decline. The economic crisis may also play a part, although the decline in the number of marriages only started after 2010. In the lean years after 2002, when the economy also faltered, the number of marriages and partnership registrations decreased too.
Marriages and partnerships
Monday second most popular wedding day
Four in ten couples prefer to marry on Friday. Their share has become smaller in the course of time, mainly because it is cheaper to marry on Monday. This appears to be caused not only by the poor economic situation since 2008, but is also the continuation of a long-standing trend. Since 2008, Monday has been the second most popular day to marry.
The weekly pattern regarding partnership registrations is almost the opposite of marriages. Last year, 41 percent of all new partnerships were registered on Mondays, as against only 8 percent on Fridays.
Marriages by day of the week
Expensive wedding ceremonies clearly show seasonal pattern
Marriages performed on Fridays and Saturdays show a distinct seasonal pattern: the months prior to and after the summer holiday are most popular. The pattern is virtually absent on Mondays and other weekdays. On weekdays, wedding ceremonies are often modest, whereas extensive celebrations are usually planned during weekends. Partnership registrations do not show a distinct seasonal pattern.
Marriages by week and day (excluding holidays and special dates), 2012
Joop Garssen and Carel Harmsen