Wedding Planning in the Engaged Era, According to Zola

The wedding world is officially in its Engaged Era—and Zola has a first look at how the engagement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is already shaping the industry and inspiring couples as they plan their 2026 weddings.

Just 3 weeks after the news of the engagement dropped, couples and vendors alike have begun making changes to their wedding plans in parallel with America’s royal couple—making it the most culturally influential wedding planning moment since, well, the “real” royal wedding.

The Engaged Era, By the Numbers

This survey was conducted with 1,971 couples currently planning their 2026 weddings and 770 wedding professionals.

• 96% of vendors believe Taylor and Travis' wedding will influence wedding trends in 2026.
• 72% of couples with a 2026 wedding date say that, since the engagement announcement, they are now more inspired to incorporate Taylor into their wedding.
• 71% of vendors predict Taylor and Travis’ style and beauty choices will inspire couples' wedding trends, and 62% predict that Taylor and Travis’ decor and design will influence couples the most.
• 56% of vendors said they are actively offering or would likely create Swift-inspired services or packages to attract couples who are planning their wedding at the same time as Taylor and Travis.
• Taylor’s music will be incorporated into 1 in every 2 weddings in 2026. 46% of couples said they will play Taylor songs during their wedding and 25% plan to use her songs for key wedding moments, including walking down the aisle and their first dance.

What the Pros Predict

The wedding industry runs on the creativity and dedication of thousands of small businesses who turn wedding dreams into reality. And right now, the vast majority of those pros are already preparing for the ways in which this superstar engagement will impact their business. A whopping 96% of vendors believe the wedding of Taylor and Travis will influence 2026 wedding trends overall and more than half (56%) of vendors surveyed say they’re either already actively offering or will likely launch Swift-inspired services or packages to meet the surge in demand from couples getting married during this pop culture moment.

For many, the Swift-effect has already landed. While 34% of these vendors told us they’ve received Taylor-themed wedding requests in the past, 9% say they are experiencing a new uptick in Swiftie-inspired requests since the couple’s August engagement.

Here are the biggest ways the pros predict T&T’s influence will show up in weddings:

• 71% believe Taylor and Travis’ style and beauty choices will be the primary inspiration for other couples. Even the singer’s engagement dress sold out in minutes after she posted it on Instagram.
• 62% predict that their wedding decor and design will be the most influential. Here’s hoping we get a good peek inside!
• 43% of vendors anticipate that their chosen venue and location will significantly sway where couples decide to say “I do”.
• 32% of vendors went as far as to say everything Taylor and Travis do will inspire couples planning a wedding in 2026.

How Couples Are Planning in Parallel with Taylor and Travis

According to our survey, 72% of couples with a 2026 wedding date have been inspired to infuse more of Taylor into their wedding since the engagement announcement.

It’s not just about two people getting married; it’s about the way their love story continues to inspire couples everywhere. So much of Taylor’s music is about love and relationships, it was practically made for weddings. The most common way couples tell us they are incorporating Taylor is through their wedding playlists and music selections: At 1 in every 2 weddings in 2026, Taylor Swift’s music will be incorporated into the day.

Here’s more on how our surveyed couples said they’re taylor-ing their wedding to be Swift-inspired:

• Prepare to listen to Taylor all night long—46% of couples said they’ll be playing her songs throughout their wedding, and an additional 19% are even planning to walk down the aisle to her music. A notable 6% of super fans are choosing a Taylor Swift song for their first dance.
• Couples are doubling-down on the garden party aesthetic venue vibes which is already a top choice according to our 2025 First Look Report that revealed over a quarter of couples sought a romantic, outdoor garden venue. Now, following the engagement announcement, 11% of 2026 couples say they are even more inspired to bring that lush, outdoor magic into their own wedding.
• 5% are vowing to include Taylor nods like friendship bracelets into their wedding favors. Up for a trade, anyone?

Swiftie culture has always been well-known for fostering a unique blend of camaraderie and shared experience, with a love of Taylor’s music sparking deep friendships and relationships built around lyrics and concert memories. During the Era’s Tour, we even saw many Zola couples adding cash funds to their registries to purchase tickets to attend together. Now, that same energy is translating seamlessly into wedding parties. Almost overnight, “Life of a Bride” and other Taylor-themed bach events have become an even bigger trend—with an additional 10% of couples now saying they’re incorporating a Taylor-inspired bach-theme.

We’re Ready For It…

This is only the first track in our Engaged Era and our data already shows that Taylor and Travis are becoming the defining couple of modern wedding culture. As we head into engagement season (aka the holidays when so many more couples will get engaged and begin planning for 2026), their walk down the aisle and all of the information they share publicly will continue to influence the millions of couples planning alongside them. Until the day they finally drop their wedding photos, we’ll be here relishing every moment of our own Engaged Era, and tracking how their choices continue to shape wedding culture.