5 Statistics about Today's Brides

Just when you think you have a firm grip on who your target market is, everything changes. As technology and society evolve, so do the people you serve. As those people evolve, so should your marketing plan. But even though the industry is in a constant state of progression, some facets remain the same; the majority of you serve an all-female clientele roughly between the ages of 20-35. The majority of you serve women who are excitedly planning their dream wedding. And the majority of you are working with brides who hope to employ your services at the lowest cost possible. Yes, some things never change.

Knowing how your brides are changing is an indisputable essential to the survival of your business. It's how we in the industry adapt our brands and businesses; after all, our entire existence is to meet the needs and desires of the brides we serve. When those needs and desires change, we are left with little choice but to follow suit.

So here's what you need to know—here's what you can't afford to not know:

1. According to The Wedding Report's quarterly analysis (www.weddingreport.com), statistics indicate that couples are having smaller weddings. In fact, in 2006, the average number of guests per wedding was 184. That number has significantly decreased with an average guest count of 132 in 2014. That's a 39 percent decrease over the span of 8 years! Surprisingly, the cost of weddings has still continued to rise steadily. Although much can be attributed to the state of the economy of course, it's also highly likely that couples are inviting less guests in order to stay within their budget, rather than cutting costs elsewhere.

2. There really isn't such a thing as "wedding season" anymore. Autumn and winter weddings continue to gain momentum among brides who are looking for something a little different other than the typical spring and summer wedding. This is a strong advantage for vendors as they can accommodate more weddings than ever before.

3. As reported by The Knot in 2014, 61 percent of brides were planning their wedding through a mobile device. As indicated in this particular survey, 55 percent of brides were researching vendors through their mobile device. That should be strong motivation to make sure your website is optimized for mobile.

4. Also according to the aforementioned survey by The Knot, only one in four couples stayed within their budget throughout the wedding planning process. Actually, almost half of couples went over their budget! What does that mean for you? Two things are possible: either couples are not aware of the costs in the initial stages of planning when a budget is determined or they are willing to spend more than they originally thought!

5. Just because it's trending, doesn't mean it's what brides are looking for. Throughout the Wedding Report's most recent analysis, recent trends like mismatched elements, the Pantone color marsala, sparkling metallics and lingerie-inspired wedding dresses really didn't fare too well amongst the brides that were surveyed. The majority indicated that they either didn't like these trends or had little to no opinion about them! This further supports the theory that more and more couples are looking beyond the mainstream wedding.