Firstly, here are some wedding trends that are not necessarily surprising:
- 90% of couples lived together before their wedding
- 89% will have alcohol at their wedding
- 86% will have a wedding "first dance"
- 79% will cut the wedding cake as part of their day
- 78% will have a "wedding party" to accompany the couple at the ceremony (e.g. bridesmaids & groomsmen etc)
Declining wedding trends include:
- 79% where one person will change their name
- 68% gave wedding favours to guests
- 43% asked permission or blessing to get married
- 18% had a wedding gift list
- 12% had a wedding bouquet toss
Growing and emerging wedding trends include:
- 36% created a wedding website to keep guests informed
- 19% included eco-friendly or sustainable decorations or wedding elements
- 11% of couples had a "first look" of each other before the wedding ceremony began
- 6% were intentional on choosing wedding suppliers that were owned or run by females, people of colour or LGBTQ+.
This data confirms for me that the vast majority of couples are very traditional in what they want from a wedding. As celebrants we decide whether we want to tap into this traditional market or not.
There are many traditionally-minded couples who are put off by using a celebrant because they think that we will insist on doing additional "quirky" elements and are "out-there" performers who make the ceremony all about them.
Whilst there are clearly, couples who want celebrants who are a bit different, a bit "quirky" and "out-there" performers, it will be a niche and you must market yourself as this, and understand your numbers of weddings may be very limited. There are some, but not many, amazing specialist celebrants who do this very well and can charge a huge premium price as a result. The alternative is to recognise the "traditional" market and make sure you offer a wedding ceremony which although very personal is still very traditional looking.
On average, I would say about 50% of all my wedding bookings are from couples who want something traditional looking. The other 50% are wanting something very different and are comfortable breaking new ground with additional elements and something which is not traditional looking.
When it comes to your wedding ceremony questionnaire, make sure that it captures all the different elements of their wedding ceremony so you can understand the vibe and format they are planning. E.g. what is the size and make-up of their immediate wedding party? Some couples don't choose to have a traditional set-up so let the questionnaire capture this information before you meet with them to avoid making any assumptions which could cause offence.
When you are conducting your initial wedding ceremony planning meeting with couples, it is important to ask the right questions about their key milestones in their relationship, like when did they move in together? How did the marriage proposal come about? Whatever they tell you, it is important that you never look surprised, shocked or disbelieving as this can easily transmit as judgement on the couple. Always be delighted in what they tell you and ask for more details.
What I love about being a wedding celebrant is how every couple is different and they go to great lengths to personalise what they want. Our job is to identify their needs and to match them. It is the best job in the world!
