We know that millennials are getting married later in life, if at all, than previous generations. How many times have you heard a baby boomer say, “By 30, I had two kids and had bought a house”. Times have changed. Not only are millennials getting married in lower numbers, and at later years, they are changing everything the wedding industry
SPENDING
Just because they’re getting married later in life, (average marrying age for brides is 29.2, grooms, 30.9) it doesn’t mean they’re not spending money. A study by The Knot found that the average cost of a wedding in 2017 was $33,391, with high spenders—those spending $60,000 or more—spending an average of $105,130. The spend per guest has increased from $194 in 2009 to $268 in 2017, while guest count has decreased, from 149 in 2009 to 136 in 2017.
REGISTRIES
Gone are the days of registering at a department store for wedding china. Due to millennial’s more mature age when getting married, and the fact that many have also lived together prior to marriage, their registries are reflecting that. Many already have traditional gifts like cookware and linens, so they are using the opportunity to register cash towards meaningful experiences while on their honeymoon, or a big purchase like a home or car. In addition to this trend, millennials are also philanthropic. A recent study showed that Millennial guests want to offer a gift that gives back. The study found that people ages 18-39 are more likely to donate to a charity the couple has included on their registry, rather than buying a traditional gift.
UNCONVENTIONAL
Again, due to millennial’s later age when tying the knot, they know what they want. They aren’t looking for the cookie-cutter banquet hall experience for their big day. The Knot found that formal weddings have decreased (27% in 2009 to 17% in 2017), with more couples choosing non-traditional venues like barns, wineries, museums, and parks.
TECHNOLOGY
Smartphones are making wedding planning easier for many couples, as usage increased from 89% in 2015 to 92% in 2017. While the most popular activity is browsing wedding gowns (65%), researching vendors (54%), using online planning tools (48%) and creating a personal wedding website (31%) are other top activities couples are doing on mobile. Additionally, couples are using technology to celebrate with their guests, by creating a custom wedding hashtag (64%), creating a Snapchat filter (23%), using drones to capture footage from above (10%) and using a photo-sharing app for guests to upload photos into one place (9%).
QuestionPro Audience provides our clients with access to more than 5 million active consumer respondents, who are pre-screened and qualified candidates for high-quality data collection. Our Consumer Panel is carefully recruited to target all type of users, but also taking into consideration certain key industry trends, such as online store preference, physical store preference, actual systems, reasons to purchase, etc. With industry knowledge, innovative tools, and purchasing power, QuestionPro Audience always meets the rigorous demands of our clients. By implementing various recruitment methodologies, we make sure to provide the right kinds of respondents for your research.
