I love wedding stats, but most of all I love sharing them with you! Numbers don’t lie and these are impressive. I hope that they motivate youJ.
This is my compilation of highlights from the 2011 American Wedding Study (and in brackets my thoughts).
Top trends:
- Couples are increasingly skipping sit-down receptions in favour of cocktail parties, passed hors d’oeuvres, food stations and picnics/barbeques (but they are not necessarily spending any less money, so presenting couples with new and unique ideas will help in winning their biz)
- 1 in 5 couples are now using e-vites or emails to invite their guests to the wedding or as a save-the-date notification (if you’re a stationer/designer make sure that you’re offering these brides e-design packages and educating your web-brides re: on-line etiquette)
- 22% of couples are having Wedding Weekends ( = the perfect compromise between an at home wedding and a destination wedding, my understanding is that this is a weekend get-away closer to home that encompasses the wedding and other activities) – this is up 38% from 2009
- Photo Ops for All – 20% of couples now have a photo booth at their wedding (chic and unique spin-offs of this idea will attract brides attention moving forward)
- The Entertainment Factor – 3% of couples have started including professional dancers, comedians, etc in their wedding (today’s couple wants their wedding to STAND-OUT, providing unique entertainment is a great way to ensure this, so I’m sure that number will continue to increase)
Impressive Stats:
The Reception
- The most money is still spent on the reception (36% of wedding costs with the average price tag of $13,367)
Photography/Videography
- Average cost - $3,367.00 (that’s the 2nd highest in terms of overall wedding expenses)
The Dress
- The gown is purchased 9 months before the wedding
- Average cost - $1,289.00 (20% increase from 2009)
- An additional $581.00 is being spent on wedding day accessories (the veil, headpieces, jewellery and shoes)
The Flowers
- Average cost - $1,426.00
The Cake
- Average cost - $480.00
The Wedding Party
- The typical wedding party has 4.5 bridesmaids and 4.5 groomsmen (not quite sure how that works – haha)
- The average bridesmaid dress costs $134.00
Destination Weddings
o 1 in 10 couples or 15% of couples have a destination wedding (a holiday in the tropics, Europe , etc that encompasses the wedding and other activities) – this is up 25% from 2009
Gift Registry
o An impressive 93% of couples will register at 2 – 3 gift registries
The Engagement
o 63% of brides to be provide input on their engagement ring and 21% actually select the ring themselves
Credit - Heidi Dennis - Bridal Fantasy Edmontonhttp://www.bridalfantasy.com/
