Wedding traditions which are falling out of favour with younger generations

woman down on one knee proposing to a man

Researchers surveyed Gen Z couples and found many traditional wedding and proposal traditions which are falling out of favour with younger generations. But it's good news for the father-of-the-bride, as 54 percent said expecting parents to cough up for the big day was no longer necessary.

Other things which are likely to fall out of favour are asking the bride's father for permission to propose (43 percent), sleeping apart the night before the wedding (38 percent) and the bride taking their partner's name (35 percent).

Of the 2,000 18- to 27-year-olds, surveyed by Churchill, as many as 86 percent believe the traditional stereotype of men proposing to women is old hat – and women should be able to pop the question too.

A third (29 percent) think that being given away is no longer necessary, while 27 percent say that tossing the bouquet is out of style. Being carried over the threshold (26 percent), promising to obey in the vows (25 percent) and wearing a veil (19 percent) are also falling out of favour.

However, marriage remains popular for young Brits with half (47 percent) of the 18- to 27-year-olds planning to propose, or get married in the near future, with a quarter (27 percent) planning on getting down on one knee and recreating their first date to pop the question (27 percent).

A quarter (24 percent) say that they involve their pet in the proposal. A spokesperson from Churchill said: "Every generation sees attitudes change and young Brits are embracing equality in all aspects of their lives. Following in the footsteps of famous female celebrities, women are increasingly choosing to propose to their partner. What was once a leap year tradition is now becoming commonplace. Young Brits remain committed to the idea of marriage but are rewriting the rule book from the proposal to the big day itself."

It is not just marriage that is on the cards for young Brits this year, 87 percent are also planning on taking the leap and achieving other milestones. One in three (33 percent) will be moving house, while a third (32 percent) are planning to travel the world, move into a new career (31 percent) and buy a new car (29 percent). And 92 percent think that it's important to try and achieve a milestone every year, with a further 98 percent believing that taking a leap and being adventurous helps keep life interesting.