Every year, I pull apart the CSO marriage statistics to find the stories hiding inside the numbers. This year, those stories are ones every hotelier needs to hear.

The headline: in 2025, Ireland recorded fewer than 20,000 marriages for the first time. That's a gradual decline that's been building since the post-COVID peak in 2022, and a trend we're seeing replicated in the UK and across other markets too. The pool of couples is softening - and with new venues opening all the time, understanding your real competitive position matters more than ever.

But here's what the national average hides. It's not a uniform picture.

Connacht and Ulster are down almost a quarter since 2022. Leinster is essentially flat. And Dublin City and Cork City are actually growing - couples are shifting towards urban venues and city experiences. Kerry, Sligo and Donegal are holding their own too, because they've done the work of positioning themselves as destinations.

The venues that are winning right now share one thing in common. They know their actual market - not the national average, but their county, their competition, their real opportunity.

Three things worth acting on this week:

1. Know your county-level numbers – understand what percentage share of the total market in your county you currently own.
2. Take your shoulder season seriously – for example, May 2025 performed well even in a down market.
3. Make sure your packages and marketing reflect today’s couples – the average groom is now 38 and the average bride is 36.

Data without action is just wallpaper. But the venues that use it? They're the ones filling their diaries.

You can download the free report at www.getwedpro.com/cso-marriage-data, and if you'd like to hear the full expert analysis, the webinar replay is available there too.

Contact details

Ciara Crossan
Founder & CEO

 087 957 7733
 ciara@weddingdates.ie
Web www.theweddingcrm.com