Wedding Planning in a Downturn

Since early this summer, we've been surveying brides on our web site about how the economy has changed their wedding plans. Not surprisingly, nearly all brides responding said they've had to at least consider altering their plans. However, there were some surprising responses to how they plan to change their events.

The most interesting things we learned from the survey were:

• Except for videography and live music, most brides do not plan to eliminate key services to save money. Instead, 100% of brides responding said that reducing the guest count was one of the first places they will look for savings -- with more than half saying it was the place they are cutting back. Trimming the menu was the next target for savings, with 80% of brides indicating they intend to reduce food costs with a simpler menu.
• Other top cost-cutting tactics were fewer/less costly flowers and decorations, and DIY invitations.
• What brides want most from wedding vendors: flexibility and education. Nearly 100% said that "creative ideas for doing more with less" and "education about what really makes a wedding great" were their top choices for how vendors could help. A la carte services and flexibility (e.g., less restrictive minimums) were the second most popular choice.

The upshot: the good news is, most brides are still planning a conventional wedding with most of the major services. But, they are looking to be prudent about costs (without sacrificing quality, of course). Vendors who can demonstrate flexibility and efficiency in their services can take advantage of brides' desire to feel their making good decisions and spending hard-earned money wisely.