People Who Feel 'Gender Bias' in Weddings Increase by 21.5 Points Since Last Survey! 'Bouquet Toss' Cited as the Most Gender-Biased Tradition by Women. Survey on Reiwa-era Weddings.

## People Who Feel 'Gender Bias' in Weddings Increase by 21.5 Points Since Last Survey!

Tokihana Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masaki Ando), which operates the wedding venue search service 'Tokihana' (https://tokihana.net/), conducted a sampling survey targeting 260 men and women in their 20s and 30s who have held wedding ceremonies.

### 1) 69% of those in their 20s experience gender bias in weddings, up 21.5 points from previous survey

While diversity is spreading in society, wedding ceremonies still retain various performances based on role divisions like 'because they are men' or 'because they are women.' Tokihana conducted surveys on gender bias in weddings in July 2024 and March 2025.

In the July 2024 survey, 47.6% of respondents in their 20s said they had experienced gender bias, but in this 2026 survey, that figure rose to 69.1%, an increase of 21.5 points. This reveals that more young people are feeling uncomfortable with traditional values and customs in weddings.

### 2) 'Bouquet Toss' is the custom where women feel the most gender bias

Women cited the 'bouquet toss'—a performance where a bouquet is thrown toward unmarried female guests—as the most gender-biased custom. This figure increased from 56.3% in the March 2025 survey to 61.5% in the current survey.

While the bouquet toss is said to signify 'sharing happiness,' it often focuses only on unmarried women. Some may feel uncomfortable being called out in front of guests or having their values regarding marriage treated uniformly.

Following this, 'the groom's speech' and 'walking down the aisle' were cited. While it is common for the bride to walk down the aisle with her father, the diversification of family structures has led to a growing desire to freely choose 'who to walk with' or 'whether to have the walking performance at all.'

### 3) Men cite 'the groom's speech' and 'bouquet toss' as the most gender-biased customs

In this survey, from a male perspective, 'the groom's speech' and the 'bouquet toss' were the most cited, both at 48.9%.

It is common for the groom to represent the couple at the end of the reception with a speech. However, there is discomfort with the expectations placed on men, such as 'the groom should speak on behalf' or 'a man should conclude the reception.'

### 4) 61% of people are conscious of avoiding gender bias in their weddings

As discomfort with gender roles in weddings spreads, 61.6% of men and women in their 20s and 30s responded that they were 'conscious' of avoiding gender bias in their own weddings. This is a 4.7-point increase from the 56.9% in the previous survey, showing that more people want to choose performances and processes that are not bound by gender.

Specifically, options that do not fix roles by gender are expanding, such as changing the bouquet toss to include all guests, walking down the aisle with family members or friends other than the father (or walking together as a couple), and having the bride deliver a speech as well.