Avoid These 6 Assumptions: Customer Insights Reveal The Truth About Engaged Couples

It only makes sense to assume there is a direct correlation between the amount of time you have spent in the wedding industry and how much you know about engaged couples. After all, you spend so much of your time having calls, exchanging emails, doing walk-throughs, tastings, and mockups with them, so you’re bound to gain some natural customer insights. 

The thing is, while you have the pleasure of working with a number of couples every year, your couples make up a small percentage of the total number of couples out there—and (collectively) they have opinions that are different than you might expect. 

So we’re going to shed some light on the things you think you may know about couples with our latest customer insights. Keep reading to learn about the six assumptions we see wedding pros incorrectly making about engaged couples and discover what the latest wedding industry statistics really reveal.

Customer Insights Revealed: 6 Assumptions About Engaged Couples to Avoid

Curious to learn about what the latest customer insights reveal? Check out these six common assumptions about engaged couples and discover the truth about what your couples are really wanting during their wedding planning process.

Assumption #1: Couples don’t need your services until they’re actively planning a wedding.

Given the nature of your business, it can be easy to assume that couples don’t need your services until they become engaged. But our customer insights show that planning a memorable proposal is top of mind for proposers, with 58% reporting feeling some or a lot of pressure to plan a unique proposal.

In fact, last year 25% of all proposers enlisted the help of vendors for their proposals, and this number has more than doubled since 2019. And in 2023, 50% of proposers began planning up to three months in advance of the proposal, whereas only 10% did so in 2019. This means that if you want to expand your booking season, it’s more important than ever before to make sure your marketing plan is in place prior to engagement season. Ensuring high visibility for your business can make a big difference in your yearly ROI.

Assumption #2: Engaged couples can wait to see your pricing.

Making the decision to share your pricing is one a lot of wedding pros go back and forth on—and we understand why. Posting your pricing can feel like you are potentially scaring away new customer inquiries or couples who are on the cusp and that your sales skills could close. But not posting them could lead to an influx of inquiries that can’t afford you. 

Regardless of how you feel, the truth is customer insights reveal that couples don’t want to wait to see your pricing. In fact, according to our wedding industry statistics, 64% of engaged couples reported that wedding budgeting was one of the most important factors in their planning process. And up to 74% of engaged couples told us that it is important for them to see pricing before reaching out to a pro. 

So, what should you do? Be sure to post your pricing on your website as well as on your Storefronts since it will help you increase the number of and quality of your leads.

Pro-tip: Still need to be convinced about posting your rates? Here are more reasons to share your pricing.

Assumption #3: Engaged couples tend to set a firm wedding budget.

Despite what you may believe, our customer insights reveal that wedding budgets are not set in stone. But it is easy to understand why it might feel like they are—especially when couples ask to negotiate on prices or for discounts. 

While couples may continue to ask for favors or “push back” on pricing, 56% of couples surveyed went over budget in 2023 and were willing to spend more on something they really wanted. 

So, what does this mean for you as a wedding pro? Make sure you are able to not only communicate what couples get when hiring you but the benefits of doing so. Conveying all the value you bring will give them a better reason to be flexible with their budget.

Pro-tip: Wondering how to address pricing concerns with couples? Get expert tips and advice on whether you should negotiate your pricing.

Assumption #4: Couples prioritize their wedding day experience over all else.

A couple’s wedding is one of the most important days of their lives, making it easy to assume  they plan their wedding with their own experience in mind.

But the truth is quite the contrary, and 75% of couples told us that making sure their guests are well taken care of and have a good time is most important to them. And this number only grows as the size of the wedding increases. Additionally, 33% are increasing their budget in 2024 to help ensure their guests have an optimal experience at their wedding.

Given this customer insight, operate under the assumption that your leads are looking for wedding pros who really understand and prioritize combining their unique tastes with a stellar guest experience. Focus on how your services will help make their wedding memorable and impressive to their guests.

Pro-Tip: Need some ideas about what guests are loving? Check out these top wedding trends. 

Assumption #5: Engaged couples aren’t using time-saving tools to send messages.

When you are running a business in the wedding industry, there are lots of tactics you use in an effort to save time, such as using Quick Replies in your Inbox or email templates. As it turns out, your couples take the very same approach! 

One of the features that WeddingWire and The Knot make available to couples are message templates, used for initial outreach to vendors. This feature helps them save time as they are juggling inquiries and conversations, just as you are.

What this also means is that templated messages you may see in your inbox are not junk or spam leads; rather, they are real couples using the same time-saving tactics you do. 

So, what should you do? Make sure you reply to every lead in your inbox because every lead is an opportunity to book more business.

Assumption #6: Engaged couples who find you on your Storefront always contact you through it.

Your Storefronts on The Knot and WeddingWire are powerful marketing tools for your wedding business. And, while you might assume that couples who find you there will complete your Storefront inquiry form to get in touch, that’s not always the case. 

Our customer insights revealed that up to 51% of bookings driven by The Knot and WeddingWire come from actions couples take other than completing the lead form (such as clicking through to your website or social media accounts or just picking up the phone to start a conversation).

So, what does this mean for you? Begin to gather your own personalized customer insights by asking your potential couples where they first found you or heard about you. This will help you better understand where your ROI is coming from and provide useful information when you’re ready to work on next year’s marketing strategy.

If you found these wedding industry statistics and customer insights interesting, be sure to learn more about how couples are using The Knot and WeddingWire during the wedding research and planning process.

Photo Credit: Camille Garzon