BridalTweet Wedding Forum & Vendor Directory

3 Things Brides Consider When Choosing Vendors & It's Not Price

Wedding Professionals:

During tough economic times, we are quick to assume that price is the main factor for brides as they plan their wedding. Yes, price is important but I believe this past year has brought forth other factors that are just as influential.

I came to this conclusion after reading Lee Eisenberg’s ‘Why Shopping is Good Again.’ Eisenberg articulates today’s top consumer values. I believe these three values can also help all of us to understand what brides are thinking as they are making their purchasing decisions.

1. Brides value experiences that transform them. Even some of the shyest women embrace the spotlight on their big day. As a bride plans her wedding, she is more commonly thinking about her own personal ‘red carpet’ moment. That is the moment when everyone at her wedding will look at her in astonishment. Various vendors have picked up on this common value or mindset. For example, Astrid Mueller designs romantic illustrations. When she is designing, Astrid asks lots of questions - what the bride dreams she’ll wear as she floats down the aisle, what is her and her sweetie’s love story, what their dream wedding will be like. Through personalized art, Astrid’s sophisticated illustrations make all of those special details come alive. What additional services can you add to your current offering in order to make brides feel special and transformed?

Here's an example of a bride making a grand entrance with a designer gown and with stationery. Illustration: Astrid Mueller. Artisan printing: LetterpressLight.com.

2. Brides value shared experiences. During tough economic times, people tend to place more value on family, friendships and relationships in general. We’ve been forced to focus on the things that are really important in life – and that’s not a bad thing. This is also entirely true for weddings. In some cases, guest lists have had to shrink and brides have had to focus on the elements that matter most to their loved ones. But behind all of that, weddings have become more intimate. What can you do to add to that intimate, meaningful experience to a bride’s big day?

3. Brides value experiences that are an extension of themselves. It’s no wonder that many brides are now into DIY (Do-It-Yourself) elements. They are creating their own menus, programs, favors – you name it. We tend to think this is only to save money. However, they are also doing this to put their stamp on their big day - to make it personal. Thinking beyond price and thinking deeper about the personal nature of a DIY wedding, how can you make your products and services more personalized?

Position your wedding offerings, so that they are in line with the values of today’s bride. Ultimately, this will help ensure that brides say ‘yes’ to you. Do you have other insights about what values influence a bride’s planning decision? If so, 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 called Supercharge Your Wedding Business, 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.

Comment by Maglente on October 8, 2010 at 9:34am: Very interesting insights. thanks this really help.

Comment by Nancy Anne Tice on January 25, 2011 at 2:20pm: We've been in business for 22 yrs. Most of our bridal clients are under 30, which makes me old enough to be their mother. Does anyone have any suggestions for me about being relevant in terms of being the voice of experience hoping to make their music dreams come true, rather than seeming "past it" or "over the hill'?? A youthful appearance and enthusiasm for helping them find the music/musicians they want is what I do. Any other ideas, or do I worry too much?

Comment by Larry James on February 1, 2011 at 2:50pm: Great article. Brides also like "attention to detail." I booked another wedding last evening and after about an hour and 1/2 of time together, I asked her what attracted her to me. She said, "You are wonderfully organized. You talked about things from a wedding officiant's point of view that I had never thought about. I thought you would only be talking about the ceremony but you covered everything." Having the final say on what is said in their ceremony is another thing brides and grooms like. Once a deposit is received to secure the date, they get a copy of the ceremony as a Word doc and they can change, edit or add anything they want, save it and sent it back to me. That way they always have the last word on what is said in their wedding ceremony.

Comment by Carol DuBois on February 8, 2011 at 1:24pm: I am a inviation dealer. I love receiving this newsletter because I am new to this business. I have recieved so much infomation on how to market my business. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Comment by gifted... Box Company on February 8, 2011 at 3:20pm: Super helpful outlook! Thanks Bridal Tweet! xoxo

Comment by eventsherald on April 19, 2012 at 2:31am: Thanks for this beautiful article, but to add a point, the recent times is observing a shift in the mindset of brides looking for vendors. They look for delicate balance of price factors and quality services at the same time.