CHEVY CHASE, Md., May 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — WeddingWire, Inc., the leading global online marketplace connecting consumers with event and creative professionals, is proud to celebrate ten years of innovation, service and partnership within the wedding industry. A decade ago, Timothy Chi joined forces with his Blackboard co-founder, Lee Wang, along with Jeff Yeh and Sonny Ganguly, to set up WeddingWire’s first office in his pink living room in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Since then, the company has grown to over 850 employees with its corporate headquarters in the Washington, D.C. metro area and additional offices across the globe, including in New York, California, Romania, Mexico City, Spain and India.

In its first ten years in the U.S. alone, WeddingWire has helped 70 million users–brides, grooms, wedding professionals, and guests–who have spent the equivalent of 4,460 years on WeddingWire’s desktop and mobile sites. WeddingWire has also hosted 680 thousand vendor storefronts on the site, while couples have conducted over 150 million vendor searches and consulted reviews from recently married couples 52 million times, upping their confidence in vendor selection.

“We started WeddingWire with one mission in mind: to help engaged couples and wedding professionals connect online,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Wedding planning and the industry has greatly evolved since our company’s inception, but our founding goal has remained constant. We are so fortunate to have played a role in helping millions of engaged couples connect with wedding businesses for the happiest day of their new lives together.”

To mark this anniversary, WeddingWire analyzed how weddings have changed over the past decade in a first-of-its kind report, The Evolution of Weddings: A 10 Year Comparison. The study compiles WeddingWire’s research collected from nearly 15,000 couples who married in 2016 and ten years prior. Couples surveyed provided details on a variety of topic areas comparing how the couple met, financial details, style trends, planning resources, and more in order to provide the most comprehensive view possible.

The survey reveals how technology has significantly impacted planning, as well as some unexpected insight on how weddings have evolved. Highlights include:

A Delayed “I Do”: In the past ten years, the average age that couples get married has shifted from their twenties to their thirties. The average age for a woman getting married 10 years ago was 26, compared to 30 today. Couples today are taking more time for themselves before getting married, such as traveling and focusing on their education and career, before saying “I do.”

It’s all About the Guests: Ten years ago, couples spent approximately $16,000 on a wedding with about 110 guests; however, today couples spend closer to $28,000 and have about 124 guests. This increase demonstrates the current trend of couples splurging to ensure each of their guests has an amazing experience, with the average spend per guest rising from $145 to $240.

October is the new May: The most popular months to wed used to be May, June and July, but today, couples are shifting away from summer weddings by opting for celebrations in the fall. In 2016, October was the most popular, with 15 percent of couples exchanging vows during this month, followed by September (13 percent) and June (12 percent.)

Personalization is Key: Ten years ago, only 17 percent of couples incorporated some kind of theme into their wedding. Today, nearly 50 percent plan their special day around a theme such as beach, rustic, or travel. Couples want their special day to reflect their unique relationship and the increasing availability and variety of venue options and vendors help them achieve this goal.

Love the One you (Work) With: Vendors play a big role in alleviating the pressure of wedding planning for couples, so much so that many of today’s couples establish longstanding personal relationships with their vendors. Forty percent of couples now note they became friends with their wedding vendors during the planning process, versus around 15 percent a decade ago.

To see more of the survey findings and learn how WeddingWire is celebrating ten years of serving engaged couples and wedding professionals visit go.weddingwire.com/10-year-anniversary.