This is our third year running a survey with the engaged couples out there, this year we conducted the survey at the Wedding Journal Show in Citywest with 160 couples. In 2008, we surveyed people on their Wedding budgets and last year we did an engagement survey. This year, we looked at the use of the internet by brides and grooms and have found that….
TECH SAVVY BRIDES ON THE RISE!
A recent survey revealed that there are some notable shifts in the way Irish couples plan their weddings. According to the survey conducted by WeddingDates.ie, a staggering 83% of couples said the internet was their primary means of research for their wedding. Traditional wedding fairs lagged behind at a mere 45%, with referrals from friends and wedding magazines being more popular methods for sourcing information at 58% and 59% respectively.
This is no surprise to the internet entrepreneur behind WeddingDates.ie, Ciara Crossan who says “searching for what we need online is a huge part of our daily lives now and with the prevalence of smart phones this is only going to increase in the coming years.”
“Generation Z” or the Net Generation are those who were born between the early 1990’s and 2000 and they are the brides and grooms of the next 3 – 5 years. This generation is highly connected, many of them have had lifelong use of communications and media technologies and thus are used to instant access to information.
“WeddingDates.ie is the only website that provides real-time information on wedding venue availability all over the country – allowing time poor couples to effectively plan their wedding day with the mimimum of hassle.”
Future brides and grooms are also using social networking giant Facebook for specific aspects of their day, with 57.2% of those surveyed saying that they use Facebook for wedding related tasks. According to Facebook, there are over 55,000 people in Ireland over the age of 18 who are engaged; this presents a huge opportunity for hotels and other wedding suppliers to target and interact with their prospective customers on this medium.
Crossan who’s facebook page was recently a finalist for Best Facebook Page of a Business in the Irish Web Awards knows the value of interaction online. “Businesses can really bring their brands to life on social media, and appear friendly, approachable and engage with their users in a meaningful way.”
Other findings from the survey include:
- 63.75% of brides had favourite websites or blogs that they visited regularly when planning their wedding.
- 47% of couples felt that the location was the most important factor when choosing a venue, with 44% rating the reputation as a deciding factor and 41% being price led.
- Civil weddings have gained ground and nearly 20% of those surveyed are having a civil ceremony instead of the traditional church affair.
For more detailed results, download the survey here.
