White weddings might soon be a thing of the past, because almost half of Americans (46%) disagree with the expectation that brides should wear white.
A new Harris Poll shows that wearing white is just one of a few wedding traditions that’s changing in an increasingly frugal climate. 46% of millennials now think that the bride’s family shouldn’t have to pay for the wedding, and only 56% think the groom’s family should pay for the rehearsal dinner. But millennials care about engagement rings more than older people do: 43% of millennials say they care about having an expensive ring, but only 21% of people over 68 think the engagement ring needs to be expensive. (Probably because older people know that a fancy ring isn’t the main ingredient of a long, successful marriage.)
Other traditions are hard to shake. Three quarters of respondents of all ages said bridal showers should be women-only, and 84% say that the bride’s father should still walk her down the aisle. 70% said the groom should ask the bride’s parents before proposing.
Even more surprising: 51% (and 47% of millennials) think the bride and groom should “wait” to have sex until after the wedding. This one sounds slightly dubious — are half of engaged couples in sexless relationships? Not likely.
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Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com