Towards a wedding boom in Normandy?

The last two years of restrictive health measures linked to covid-19 have had a downward impact on the number of marriages celebrated. However, the year 2022 promises to be a year of nuptial celebration. Between the postponements and the weddings scheduled for this year, the town halls will be taken by storm. Illustration in Caen this Saturday, June 18.

“We were supposed to get married last year and we pushed back. We chose the June date because we were hoping for good weather,” explains this young bride all smiles. A few minutes earlier, moved, she united with her companion, like hundreds of thousands of other couples. According INSEEon average, 230,000 of them say yes each year in France (excluding the health crisis).

In 2022, the number of brides should be even higher: according to l’Assocem, the association of marriage consultants, nearly half of the unions postponed due to the health crisis will take place in the coming months. That is around 200,000 events in France, to which are added the weddings of the year 2022.

For two years, due to health restrictions linked to the covid-19 pandemic, many weddings have been canceled or postponed. If since the 2000s the number of unions has been falling almost continuously, the fall observed in 2020 is unprecedented at -31.2%. In Normandy, the decline is even greater than the national average since it was 39.6%. In total, less than 7,300 marriages were celebrated in our region.

But proof that this tradition remains important for the French, in 2021, the rebound was colossal with +42% of marriages celebrated. This year, no more restrictions are imposed for the ceremonies. The increase is likely to be even higher. Which is not to displease Emmanuelle Dormoy, elected Caen, in charge of weddings this Saturday, June 18 at the town hall of Caen. If the ceremonies are linked, with only 15 minutes to devote to each couple, the pleasure remains intact.

At the end of the day, I am always very surprised to leave with a smile. We share in a very concentrated time little life stories and generally people are happy and it’s always a pleasure between the newlyweds who have a tear, the parents who are moved. It is always a very pleasant moment in life.

Emmanuelle Dormoy, deputy mayor of Caen

France 3 Normandy

–

This Saturday, 11 weddings are taking place. It will more than double next week. “Weddings intensify over the period from spring to early autumn. These are busy Saturdays”she adds.

So, to manage this tight schedule, organization is essential. “We try to make a little word of welcome to mark the fact that it is still a special day. Then we proceed to the reading of the obligatory texts which are distributed between the elected official and the agent of the state civilian who reads part of the marriage contract, the exchange of consents and after a short note. I accompany the bride and groom to the cloister which is a beautiful place for photos and memories. We have a usher at the reception who prepares people, who come out on the other side, we have a whole sense of traffic to avoid creating traffic jams, everything is very fluid”, details the chosen one.

Another evolution of the practice: the age of the bride and groom. Couples are uniting later and later. In a heterosexual couple, the average age of the bride in 2021 is 36.6 years old compared to 31 years in 2000. It is 39.1 years for mencompared to 33.6 years in 2000. As for homosexual couples – who have only been able to unite since 2013 – the trend is the opposite since they marry earlier in 2021 than in 2013: women marry on average around 37.2 years and men at 44 years.

–