No wedding night sex for most newlyweds - four brides reveal why
It's meant to be the most romantic day for couples – but research has revealed that the majority of newlywed couples don't have sex on their wedding night.
A survey of 1,834 newly married couples showed that 65% missed out on getting intimate the evening after walking down the aisle.
The wedding website Hitched.co.uk noted that this was a rise from the 52% who were abstinent in 2016.
They reported that more than two thirds were too tired or inebriated to get in the mood, despite the high traditional and societal expectation to consummate the union.
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To find out the main reasons for the lack of action on the wedding nights of most couples, they spoke to brides about what happened.
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One shared: "We stayed in The Grand, Brighton. Had an amazing bath together, shared a bottle of champagne and then I went to put on my wedding lingerie...then decided that I needed to unpin my hair... by the time I’d finished, he’d passed out on the bed."
Another revealed: "By the time we went to bed (at 6am) I’d been up for over 24 hours and the majority of that time was spent drinking. Honestly, I don’t think either of us could think of anything worse."
A third admitted: "I had got some wedding lingerie especially for it. My dress didn't need a bra but I made sure I got a fab bridal one. In the end I was so drunk/tired that I couldn't find it in my bag or be bothered to look.
"I slept in my 'Here Comes The Bride' pink heart shorts and t-shirt PJs and passed out on the gorgeous four-poster bed before my husband was out of the bathroom."
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And a fourth recalled: "My bridesmaids put rose petals, sexy lingerie and sex toys in the room we were staying at after the wedding. My husband was so drunk he passed out on the camp bed that was stored in the room, fully clothed including shoes, amongst said rose petals.
"I had to get another male family member to undress me on my own wedding night as I couldn't reach my buttons!"
Zoe Burke, editor of Hitched.co.uk said: "There’s just a lot of pressure to do the deed on the wedding night, but, after literal years of wedding planning, I’m not surprised to hear that most couples can’t be bothered to!
"Our latest National Wedding Survey showed that almost a quarter of newly married couples spent two whole years planning their big days, and unfortunately, a lot of the time the stress does not simply end with the final dance.
"A wedding should be filled with love, family, dancing, and good times – if after a whole day of that, you still have the energy to get it on, then fair play to you."