WEDDING SMASHERS: Research reveals more than a THIRD of Brits have smashed their phone at a wedding

• Altar-native selfie: over a third of loved up couples are taking a selfie at the altar (39%) and over a quarter are reading their vows straight from their phones (29%)
• Data shows the average wedding guest takes 167 pictures, even missing out on key wedding action to ensure their snaps are perfect
• Three UK customers don’t need to worry if the unthinkable happens, as screen repairs are included within the 24-Month ‘Complete’ Three Your Way plan

21st May 2025: As the second May bank holiday signals the start of wedding season, new research from Three UK reveals that weddings aren’t just tearjerkers – they’re phone breakers, as more than a third of Brits (37%) have smashed their device at someone’s big day.

Whether it’s a smash to the screen or a crack to the camera lens, it’s clear phones are bearing the brunt of wedding day chaos. And when phones break, the real drama begins as a third (35%) own up to not knowing where to start when it comes to getting their phone repaired. However, Three is saving the (wedding) day by offering inclusive screen repairs for those on its 24-Month ‘Complete’ Three Your Way plan, helping to ease any pain.

Taking ‘to have and to hold’ to new heights are newlyweds who aren’t putting their devices down either. Over a third (39%) have taken a selfie at the altar, and nearly a third (29%) admit to reading their vows straight from their phone – trading traditional for digital. In today’s weddings, phones aren’t just there to capture the moment, they are the ring-bearers of the modern age.

But how do clumsy Brits manage these phone faux pas? The research reveals guests say ‘I drop’ in response to the newlyweds’ ‘I dos’ with the majority (82%) confessing they’ve dropped their phone on the dancefloor- busting more than just a move! Other moments include trying to take a group photo (24%), trying to catch the bouquet (21%) or chasing that elusive golden-hour selfie (19%).

‘Don’t go breaking my… phone’ Brits proclaim as phones have become the must-have plus one, as weddings top the list of occasions, we’re most likely to have our phones out to capture content (83%), beating other occasions like birthdays (78%) and holidays (77%).

‘Til tech do us part’ as over half of Brits (52%) say their phone is never out of their hand at a wedding. Capturing every confetti-covered moment from; uploading snaps to a shared album (30%), queueing up songs for the DJ (19%), or looking something up for the happy couple (19%), it’s clear that our devices are working just as hard as the wedding planner.

And when it comes to content creation, Brides and grooms aren’t immune to the pressure of capturing all the precious moments, as 70% say they wished hired an influencer to capture their wedding. In 2025, if it’s not on the grid, did it even happen?

But Gen Z are putting their own spin on weddings as they create personal content productions from the event – with 1 in 5 (20%) bringing their own personalised lighting to perfect the shot. For many of this generation, it’s less about memories and more about metrics as 43% admit they’re capturing content to boost their social media presence, with 1 in 5 (20%) say they’re doing it for the likes, not just for love.

Andrew Foy, Director of New Products and Propositions from Three UK, says “We all know that heartbreaking feeling when your phone slips through your fingers, hits the ground and you hope it isn’t smashed. According to our research, the average phone repair is thought to be £85 but with Three UK you can have peace of mind as we offer inclusive screen repair on selected plans… panic averted.”

As a nation, we’re wedded to our phones with guests taking an average of 167 photos per wedding and over half of guests (59%) admit to missing out on key wedding action like cutting the cake (38%) and speeches (31%) as they were glued to their phones. Shockingly, 1 in 10 (11%) have even missed watching a bride walk down the aisle.

Find out more about Three’s inclusive screen repair offering here: https://www.three.co.uk/why-three/three-your-way

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1,500 were polled with the research conducted by 3Gem

Screen repair cost taken from an average of how much Brits have paid for the service in the past.

About Three

Three launched in 2003 as the UK’s first 3G only network. Today Three is a connectivity company that connects people to people, people to things and things to things and has 10.9 million customers.

Our network today covers 99% of the UK population and we carry 34% of the UK’s mobile data traffic.

Three launched 5G in August 2019, and has been recognised by Ookla as having the UK’s fastest 5G network.

Three UK is a proud partner of Samaritans, where it will use the strength of its network and technology to connect 1 million people to emotional support.