As weddings
are put on hold for hundreds of thousands of couples during the global
Coronavirus pandemic, most couples are postponing and few are reducing
their guest lists, but the wedding planning industry is about to undergo
a profound shift, according to WeddingWire, an international wedding planning resource.
Most
couples with wedding dates between March and August are choosing to
postpone their wedding celebrations (only 7% are canceling altogether)
and do not plan to decrease their guest list count (94% in the US, 87%
globally) or their budget (95% in the US, 90% globally) for their
rescheduled festivities. Just like weddings
have been postponed, couples are postponing engagements—for now.
However, as regions begin to reopen and social distancing restrictions
are lifted, says WeddingWire, it anticipates a surge in engagements and
wedding planning.
“We’re
learning from being in constant communication with our engaged couples
and network of wedding professionals that there is a strong desire to
keep the planning momentum moving forward, as couples and their families
plan highly anticipated celebrations of love, and vendors prepare for
events to reignite,” says Jeffra Trumpower, Senior Creative Director at
WeddingWire.
“The
wedding industry is a resilient one, and it’s no surprise to us that
these professionals are doing whatever it takes to make planning
possible—and easy—for couples during this challenging time.”
According
to WeddingWire, many couples and vendors are still operating with
health and safety in mind and prioritising virtual meetings where
possible. The standard wedding to-do list remains the same, but wedding
pros have adapted their approach to fit today’s evolving regulations and
recommendations from government bodies and health organisations.
Innovative
solutions from vendors are becoming more widespread as couples look to
take control of their wedding planning at a time where staying home may
feel like their safest option. For example, caterers are working with
couples to provide in-home tastings, and bridal salons are offering
virtual consultations with to-be-weds alongside at-home try-ons, where
they will ship a number of sample wedding dresses for brides to try on
at home.
“Our
goal for navigating the global pandemic is to keep the human side of
purchasing a wedding gown as much as possible,” said Krysta York, owner
of Charlotte’s Weddings in
Portland, Oregon. “Virtual appointments allow us to keep our connection
with brides, as they invite us into their homes—virtually—and into
their lives. In addition to virtual appointments, we launched a virtual
sample sale, which was a great resource for couples getting married
quickly, who either still needed their attire or were honouring their
original wedding date with a small, intimate ceremony. We also spent
several days before our closure producing video content to educate and
have fun with our brides—we want them to remember how magical it is to
find their gown.”
Other
vendor categories, like florists and hair and makeup artists, are also
offering virtual meetings and in-home services. Virtual hair and makeup
tutorials, and bouquet- and arrangement-making sessions via video chat
are helpful for couples who are having a minimony—a
small ceremony with just the couple, their officiant, and a few loved
ones in attendance via video conference—prior to their postponed
festivities, during which they can use the vendors’ full, more
traditional services.
“Love is definitely not canceled, and hair and makeup artists are virtually helping couples in this new phase of weddings,
whether that be through at-home tutorials for intimate minimonies ahead
of a rescheduled wedding, or providing virtual consultations for weddings a few months down the road,” says Megan Garmers, founder and director of MG Hair & Makeup and The Bridal Masterclass.
“We
are embracing video chat and streaming technology to coach couples
virtually on how and what to do with a list of carefully curated
products so they can look like the best possible version of themselves
during this time. Now more than ever, social media plays a big role in
couples choosing their wedding day looks, but the abundance of
inspiration can be daunting. By offering virtual consultations, hair and
makeup artists help couples—and even wedding party members—have a more
focused approach to finalising day-of details that work best with their
face shape, hair type, skin type and more.”
As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted on large events, WeddingWire anticipates weddings will have an increased focus on health and safety for wedding guests, such as providing customised masks,
hand sanitiser and other precautions. Vendors will also likely work
with couples to rethink the flow and floor plan of wedding celebrations,
allowing for social distancing with satellite bars and dance floors to
cut down on guest traffic, and grouping guests together by households
for dinner seating. Couples will also lean into leveraging technology to
not only involve guests who are unable to attend and are tuning in from
afar, but also to communicate with guests as new updates become available about the status of events and how that may impact a couple’s specific wedding weekend plans.
WeddingWire’s
suite of digital planning tools is designed to support couples who are
wedding planning anytime, anywhere. Now, with the launch of new features
to the arsenal, WeddingWire is helping couples get things done from
home. The company provided the following information on its newly
launched tools:
- WeddingWire 360° Virtual Venue Tours:
In comparison to traditional photos and videos of a wedding venue,
WeddingWire 360° Virtual Tours give couples the most realistic
experience next to physically standing in an event space. With today’s
sheltering recommendations in place, this resource allows couples to
take a real-life walk-through of a venue property—completely virtually
on any screen from home. Additionally, after a wedding venue is booked,
couples can continue to leverage the WeddingWire 360° Virtual Tours to
help easily concept and design the venue space for their wedding day
festivities. This will become increasingly helpful as couples get
creative with building celebratory spaces that allow for social
distancing.
- WeddingWire Rescheduler:
Rescheduling or finding a backup wedding date can be a daunting task
for couples who have a large vendor team already in place. The
WeddingWire Rescheduler helps streamline the process of contacting a
couple’s entire team of wedding professionals and finding the best
overlap of availability on preferred new wedding date options. Once a
couple’s vendors have all weighed in with their availability, it’s
presented back to the couple in an easy-to-read chart so they can choose
the best date for them and their vendor team.
- WeddingWire Vendor Concierge:
As couples are sourcing vendors for their wedding, WeddingWire
Concierge—a virtual concierge chat system—will help them refine their
list of options based on preferences, wedding date, budget, location and
other details. When greeted by Taylor, the WeddingWire Concierge
(available across the site and the WeddingWire app), couples will answer
questions about what they’re looking for, including the type of venue,
location, budget and wedding date to submit personalized inquiries with
vendors that match their search.
These
new resources complement the already established suite of digital
resources that have been helping couples and vendors plan together for
years, including:
- WeddingWire Local Vendor Directory:
Couples can search for local wedding professionals across every
category—planners, florists, photographers, caterers and more—using the
WeddingWire Vendor Directory. Each wedding professional’s storefront
offers consumer reviews, photos and videos of real weddings,
available promotional deals, pricing and other resources that enable
couples to confidently make decisions regarding their wedding day vendor
team. A planning staple for the last decade, the WeddingWire Vendor
Directory is filterable by location, budget, availability and other
preferences, making virtual planning and booking vendors possible from
any location.
- WeddingWire Wedding Websites:
Guest communication is more important than ever for couples during this
time of uncertainty. With many celebrations being rescheduled or hosted
in slightly different ways, WeddingWire’s wedding websites provide a
convenient place for couples to post updates as new information becomes
available. Creating a section for frequently asked questions is a great
place to start in regards to a couple’s new date, new travel and
accommodations information, virtual streaming information, and health
and safety measures that will be implemented during the wedding
festivities.
- WeddingWire Checklist, Budgeter and Wedding Cost Guide: Also a wedding planning staple, the WeddingWire Checklist helps couples stay on top of their to-dos with customizable tasks for every stage of their planning journey. The WeddingWire Budget tool syncs with a couple’s Checklist to help manage expenses, track payments, and keep their budget under control. The WeddingWire Wedding Cost Guide is
another tool that helps couples take control of finances related to
wedding planning by providing average wedding vendor costs by category
and location, allowing couples to search for vendors that fit within
their pricing parameters. This helps couples set realistic budget
expectations when searching for vendors in their specific location.
- WeddingWire Payments:
Couples can directly pay their vendors without ever having to leave the
WeddingWire app or online account (and at no additional charge to them)
with WeddingWire Payments. Vendors can easily send contracts and
invoices to couples and request payment—with a flat, low rate—directly
from their WeddingWire vendor account. WeddingWire Payments functions
similarly to other popular peer-to-peer digital payment tools with an
intuitive and secure interface that allows users to request and fulfill
payments with a credit card, debit card or bank account.
- WeddingWire Community Forums:
In the midst of the global pandemic, couples are dealing with many
challenges related to wedding planning and their wedding day
celebrations. The WeddingWire Community Forums provide a group of people
in similar situations a place to offer advice and help come up with
creative solutions. Whether a couple is seeking guidance or someone to
confide in, the WeddingWire Community Forums is a resource for
constructive conversation on planning challenges or small milestones
made during this difficult time.
“The WeddingWire 360° Virtual Tours have
allowed us to keep our business running smoothly, and helped engaged
couples who are planning their wedding get a sense for our venue space
without stepping foot outside their home during this global crisis,”
says Todd Mozingo, owner of Chatham Station in
Cary, North Carolina. “Couples can navigate our space at their own
speed and convenience, and get a sense for our size, texture and layout,
along with a general familiarity that two dimensional pictures don’t
always convey. Couples are confident in this technology; in fact,
several couples who used our 360 Virtual Tour during the pandemic have
booked our space for their weddings without seeing the space in person.”
Planning
in the time of coronavirus has required vendors and couples to work
together and creatively redefine what planning a wedding looks like. As
planning momentum continues for upcoming celebrations, the reality is
that weddings may look different in the near future, but they will happen again, says WeddingWire.
“It’s important for couples to continue on with their planning journey, knowing 2021 will have a larger-than-normal increase in weddings, and that those nearest and dearest to them will be eager to celebrate once it’s safe to do so.”
