Ireland’s most popular wedding date in recent years has been New Year’s Eve, according to newly released figures from the Central Statistics Office. The statistics cover a 14-year period from 2011 to 2024 and highlight clear trends in when couples choose to marry.
On average, 189 marriages took place each year on 31 December, making it the single most popular day to tie the knot during the period analysed. The days immediately before New Year’s Eve were also extremely popular for weddings. 30 December ranked second with an average of 151 marriages annually, followed by 28 December with 147, and 29 December with 136 marriages on average.
Despite several late-December dates ranking highly, the month itself is not the most popular time overall to get married. In fact, December was only the sixth most popular month for weddings in Ireland during the period studied. The most popular month for marriages between 2011 and 2024 was August, followed by July, September, and June.
The data also reveals that some December dates are among the least popular days for weddings. These include Christmas Eve (24 December), which recorded an average of just four marriages per year, and St Stephen’s Day (26 December), with an average of three marriages annually. Notably, no marriages were recorded on Christmas Day throughout the entire period.
In 2024, a total of 20,345 marriages were registered across Ireland. The figures also provide insight into the typical age of couples getting married. On average, brides were 35.9 years old, while grooms were slightly older at 37.7 years.
The day of the week also appears to influence wedding planning. Friday was the most popular day for couples to get married, likely due to its convenience for weekend celebrations, while Tuesday was the least popular day.
When looking specifically at marriage patterns in 2024, August remained the most popular month for opposite-sex couples to marry. Meanwhile, September was the most popular month for same-sex couples, suggesting slightly different seasonal preferences among couples.
Alongside the December dates dominating the rankings, several summer dates also appeared among the most popular. These included 3 August, averaging 115 marriages, 4 August with 110, and 5 August with 109. Other notable dates were 2 August and 10 August, each averaging 103 marriages, as well as 27 July and 26 August, both averaging 102 marriages.
Overall, the data highlights a clear mix of holiday-season celebrations and summer weddings, reflecting the diverse preferences of couples across Ireland when choosing the perfect day to get married.
