Organising
a wedding has traditionally been a real world, physical process where
brides hit the high street, bridal stores and wedding events. Brides
traditionally visit bridal stores to find their perfect wedding dress
and often have numerous fittings so that it fits them perfectly.
Grooms have to try on suits or have tailored suits with several suit
fittings. Wedding venues are visited to find that ideal location to
celebrate saying 'I do'. Wedding cake samples and reception menus are
tried to find the tastiest wedding food for the reception. Unless you
have a wedding planner, organising a wedding is traditionally a feet
on the ground operation where brides and their loved ones have to go
out and about to get everything bought, booked and planned for their
big day.
But
in this technology driven, internet enabled world we live in where
people are becoming ever more reliant on the digital world how has
planing a wedding changed? Is planning a wedding moving from real
life reality into a virtual era? Are new technologies and social
media apps helping the wedding industry and wedding planning
transition into the digital world?
The
trend of online shopping vs high street shopping can be seen as many
people opt to shop from the comfort of their own home. Approximately
87% of UK consumers have bought at least one product online in the
last 12 months – with online sales increasing 21.3% in the year
2016, and forecast to increase by 30% by the end of 2017. As online
sales increase it is only natural that buying wedding products online
may become the new tradition. The question is how has technology and
an increase in people opting to shop online changed wedding planning
and what does this mean for wedding suppliers?
With
this in mind Angelic Diamonds, retailer of unique solitaire engagement rings and bespoke wedding rings discuss whether it’s
time for the industry to plunge into the digital world in order to
survive.
Will
the future of wedding planning be digital?
As
many companies strive to stay ahead of the competition and grab a
slice of the digital, online action to stay successful and appealing
to customers by going digital with their business, does the wedding
industry have to enter the digital world to flourish?
The
digital world has in fact already had a huge influence on wedding
planning. Thanks to social media accounts such as Pinterest,
Instagram and Facebook, engaged couples are inundated with wedding
inspiration for their big day. These social media apps allow them to
be inspired and find the perfect wedding ideas for them with just a
few clicks from the comfort of their own home. Thanks to the
convenience and wealth of inspiration that the digital world offers
it is no suprise that modern couples are now using new technology
when wedding planning. In fact, 42% of people use social media to
plan their wedding – with 41% of brides following photographers on
social media, 37% of brides following venues and 14% following
florists.
According
to The Huffington Post, around 6 out of 10 brides are actively
planning their weddings through their mobile device: they research
gowns (61% of brides, up from 27% in 2011), search for wedding
vendors (57% of brides, up from 22% in 2011), find wedding bands,
florists and other wedding suppliers online and can organise,
schedule and keep track of appointments and purchases on their mobile
device. The digital world's influence on weddings goes further than
just the planning of the wedding – couples announce wedding dates
online, share photographs of their big day on social media and over a
quarter of today’s modern couples (27%) said they would create a
hashtag for their special day.
The
beauty of the digital world and social media is not only is it a
wonderful way for modern couples to be inspired by wedding ideas but
it is also a fantastic platform for those in the wedding industry
such as wedding planners, venues, florists, bakers and other wedding
suppliers to showcase what they have to offer.
Instagram
and Pinterest, which is used by 64% of brides and is the top social
media apps that engaged couples opt for when looking for wedding
inspiration. They are a digital alternative to a wedding fair. With
social media playing such a successful role in inspiring couples it
is worth wedding suppliers who have not yet invested time into
creating a social media profile for their business doing so otherwise
they risk missing out on free exposure.
Can
the wedding industry survive offline?
Fortunately
for the wedding industry it is not all doom and gloom, the digital
world does not have to be the kiss of death to those offline as there
is a way that they can survive offline in the future. Whilst it is
beneficial for companies to go digital and up to date with the latest
technologies to help keep them current and ahead of competition,
there will hopefully always be a place for them offline within the
industry.
Whilst
there are lots of benefits to using digital technologies when
planning a wedding there is still a need for physical processes.
Couples organising their wedding need to see and experience many
things in person. Venues, food tasting, wedding dress and suit
fittings. Social media can help inspire couples and allow them to
connect with suppliers but there are at times where face-to-face
interaction is needed. As such those in the wedding industry might
struggle to operate solely online. This need for a physical process
means wedding companies can survive offline.
There
is a reason that wedding fairs have been around for centuries they
are a great way for suppliers to engage face-to-face with couples.
Whilst social media is great for visual inspiration and initial
contact as a wedding can be the biggest day of a couple's lives it is
important to speak face-to-face with suppliers and physically see
products.
The
digital age cannot be ignored especially with the trend of couples
turning to social media as a source of inspiration and a way to help
ease the wedding planning process. However the traditional, real
life, face-to-face, physical methods of wedding planning still has
its place in wedding planning now and in the future. Combing both
offline and online is a great way for wedding businesses to thrive
and gain more exposure.
Sources
No comments:
Post a Comment