Downward angle icon Downward angle icon. Tattoo artists are noticing a trend of Gen Z and millennial brides regretting their tattoos. Anna Mardo/Getty Images Gen Z and millennial brides are opening up online about regretting their tattoos. The trend for “clean girl aesthetics,” which emphasises minimalist beauty, may be one factor. Tattoo artists told BI that brides shouldn’t feel guilty about their choice, even if they choose to cover up their tattoos.
We’ve all heard the stories of tattoo regret, and young brides may be more susceptible to this feeling than others.
Celeste Evanovich, a 28-year-old tattoo artist and content creator, said she’s noticed an increasing number of Gen Z brides feeling aversion to tattoos.
In a YouTube video published on July 5, Evanovich shared several TikTok videos of women in their 20s who said they were worried about how their tattoos would look when they wore a wedding dress.
In one video, a TikTok user with the username @smoneyyz said that she works in the bridal industry and is often self-conscious about large designs on her arms and hands.
“Every weekend I look at these beautiful brides and their beautiful sleeveless dresses and their beautiful, smooth, beautiful arms and I feel an ache inside because I knew that this is not going to be the case when I get married,” she said.
The aesthetics of the “clean girl”
Evanovich said the spike in people regretting their bridal tattoos could be driven by the “clean girl aesthetic,” a beauty trend that first exploded on TikTok in 2022.
The trend focuses on minimalist, simple looks with an emphasis on fresh skin and natural makeup.
Evanovich pointed to TikTok videos in which women said they felt their tattoos made them feel less “clean.”
While this trend may seem new, it’s also a hallmark of the wedding industry.
Brides feel pressured to maintain a “clean feminine” aesthetic. freemixer/Getty Images
“The aesthetic of clean femininity and weddings go hand in hand. There’s a traditional expectation that women should be pure and innocence on their wedding day,” Evanovich said in the video.
Stuart Hepcat, a tattoo artist and founder of Hepcat Tattoo in Glasgow, Scotland, told Business Insider that tattoos clash with societal expectations of what a “traditional” wedding should look like.
The bride is wearing a sleeveless dress that shows off her arm tattoos. Poliana Ventura/Getty Images
“It always comes from that purity and how you want to look on that day and not wanting anything to detract from that special day,” Hepcat said.
He said it is often the bride’s parents who influence this mindset.
It’s something I can relate to: I’m getting married in April and earlier this month I took the plunge and got my first tattoo, a delicate design on my ankle.
My parents were supportive, but my mother told me something many tattooed brides are probably tired of hearing: “Just make sure it goes with your wedding dress.”
There’s a good chance that my tattoos won’t be visible on my wedding day because of their location, but even if they weren’t, I wouldn’t mind them showing.
Brides shouldn’t feel guilty about covering up their tattoos
Getting married is a big decision, but getting a tattoo doesn’t have to be.
Samantha Jane is a tattoo artist at High Hopes Tattoo in New York City.
She told BI in an email that her millennial clients are more likely to regret their tattoos than their Gen Z counterparts due to “the prevalence of tattoos in the last few years.”
Samantha said she encourages brides to “do whatever you want to feel your best on your wedding day,” whether that’s hiding it with makeup or showing it off.
“I don’t think it’s that serious,” she said.
Evanovich told BI in an email that she would encourage brides who are hesitant about tattoos to wear makeup instead.
“It’s your big day, and if you feel like the tattoo doesn’t suit the day, that’s okay! Just take that into consideration at your next appointment,” Evanovich said.
Ariana Grande has several prominent tattoos on her arms and hands. NBC/Getty Images
Tattoo cover-ups for brides are becoming more and more prominent, with one of the most notable examples being Ariana Grande, who covered her arm tattoos for her wedding to Dalton Gomez in 2021.
But at the same time, it seems to be becoming more acceptable for couples to make tattoos a major part of their wedding ceremony: For example, some brides and grooms are getting tattooed during the ceremony, while others are hiring artists to tattoo their guests.
A July 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center found that about 80% of 8,480 Americans surveyed said they believed society has become more accepting of tattoos over the past 20 years.
Hepcat has noticed a positive change: A newlywed couple recently came into the shop after their wedding to get matching wedding ring tattoos.
“Tattoos can have a very positive meaning at weddings these days. It just depends on how you want them to look,” he said.
