2011 Wedding Industry Predictions

Wedding Professionals:

In 2011, we’ll see a continued increase in weddings that are personalized, green, destination and DIY. Brides will still want their “red carpet moment” but they will plan their weddings with a more practical, down-to-earth mindset. Think smaller, more intimate weddings with bigger, more dramatic details. Brides will look to be transformed on their big day, they will value shared experiences and they will make their day an extension of their personal individuality.

The biggest wedding that will take place in 2011 will be between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Brides around the world will be watching to find out what Kate will be wearing. And will she be wearing a fascinator?! While the royal family will plan to spend millions on this event, it will be sure to influence the simplest wedding details around the globe. Beyond that, brides will be watching to see if Ali and Roberto of the Bachelorette will really go through with it…and will she really wear Converse sneakers?

New wedding themes will also emerge in 2011. According to the theweddingreport.com, the following will be true:

• Many couples will pay at least 60% of the total wedding cost.
• The average number of guests will be between 140 and 150.
• The average age of a bride will be 27 and the average age of a groom will be 29.
• The most popular wedding months will be September, October, July and May.
• The most popular wedding colors will be blues, purples, pinks and greens.
• We will continue to see friends and family members help out.
• We will see couples booking closer to the wedding day or on off popular days.
• Designer labels will continue to gain market share by creating more affordable lines.
• Low cost, personalized favors and details will become even more popular.

Wedding professionals will continue to demonstrate that they are online savvy. In 2010, many wedding professionals started to blog in order to attract and inspire brides, to display their work, and to express their talents within the industry. In 2011, it will be hard to find a wedding professional that is not blogging. It will also be hard to find a wedding professional that isn’t utilizing social media to get the word out about their business. For tips on how to use social media to help your wedding business, CLICK HERE.

So, how can wedding professionals stay on top in 2011?

1. Understand your clients’ emotional and rational needs. Understanding these needs will increase a vendor’s ongoing referrals and lower their marketing costs. So what are these needs? On the emotional side, engaged couples are looking for vendors that they can trust and who will help create that special feeling about their big day. On the rational side, engaged couples will be looking for solutions and information. For more information about these needs, CLICK HERE.
2. Be a thought leader on wedding trends and tips. Provide information during each phase of a bride's decision cycle. This will guide a bride from one phase of her decision cycle to another. You are the wedding expert, so tell her what she needs to know. If you haven’t done so already, start a wedding blog to showcase your work and to provide tips to brides. For tips on how to get people to see and read your wedding blog, CLICK HERE.
3. Partner with other wedding professionals. In 2011, we’ll see many professionals cross-promoting each other and bartering. Social networks are a great place to create and foster these types of mutually beneficial relationships with other wedding professionals. For tips on how to network with professionals at BridalTweet, CLICK HERE.

BridalTweet’s mission is to provide the right information and contacts to help you grow your wedding businesses in 2011 and beyond. In 2011, I will continue my weekly blog to provide wedding professionals with free wedding business advice. Feel free to browse the 40+ wedding business articles that I’ve already written about growing your wedding business. And in the Spring, I will be launching more tools to help you get more leads.

I want to personally thank you for all of your inspiration, enthusiasm and support in 2010. It’s amazing to me that our community has over 10,000 members! We have grown up very quickly with over 20,000 people visiting our community each month. We can all be really proud of what we have created here. Together, we're taking a REAL leadership role in shaping how the wedding industry can continue to connect and prosper. It is my hope that you have been inspired by the connections that you have made at BridalTweet. Personally, the relationships and support that I have gained from you have been so incredibly encouraging. Thank you for keeping me AND this community going!  Happy Holidays to the entire wedding community and I wish you all a very prosperous 2011.

What are your predictions for 2011 weddings? Please comment below.

About This Blog: Christine Dyer is the Creator and Founder of BridalTweet. Christine has an MBA in marketing and shares over ten years of marketing expertise with the wedding community. In this weekly blog, you'll find advice on an array of wedding business topics such as how to market to brides, social networking, wedding PR, wedding sales, vendor networking, branding, pricing and much more. Please pass this news along to your own professional wedding network. To receive this advice in your email inbox each week, Sign Up for a Free BridalTweet Membership.