Survey Says...

I received an email about a poll that the Knot did recently on the cost of weddings. And being that I work in market research (albeit for a tech company but still) I was interested. The press release can be read below.

The Knot Inc. (NASDAQ: KNOT), the owners of The Knot Wedding Network (which includes the Internet’s most-trafficked wedding websites and communities TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com,) conducted a massive survey in 2007 to capture detailed feedback on wedding spending, style preferences, event characteristics, and other key information related to the bridal demographic.

The survey, administered by Harris Interactive, is the second annual Real Weddings Survey conducted by The Knot Inc. It polled nearly 22,000 individuals—of mixed ethnicities, income, and education levels—across 50 US states, making it the largest survey of its kind ever.

WEDDING SPENDING:,COUPLES ALLOT BULK OF BUDGET TO RECEPTION, AND COUPLES CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS BRIDE’S PARENTS, AND CAKE SPENDING INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY

$27,882 is the average wedding budget in the US (not including the honeymoon). Including the honeymoon, the average wedding budget in the US is $32,660.

The bulk of the average wedding budget is dedicated to the reception venue ($12,722, or 45%); followed by the reception band ($4,105 on average, or 15%); and photographer ($2,651 on average, or 9.5% of the total average wedding budget).

In 2007 vs. 2006, couples spent 35% more on their wedding cake (average $692 vs. $514), 17% more on their reception venue (average $12,722 vs. $10,857), and 18% more on their reception band ($4,105 vs. $3,465).

The bride’s parents (44%) and the bride and groom (43%) are paying for the majority of weddings.

The average cost of a wedding gown is $1,317 (NYC brides spent the most at $2,206).

The average cost of a wedding photographer is $2,651 (Long Island brides spend the most on photography at $4,550).

WEDDING STYLE & TRENDS: SEMIFORMAL WEDDINGS ARE THE RAGE, AND BRIDES ARE HEADING TO ALTAR FASTER

The average wedding guest list is 153 people, nearly the same as 2006. (Wisconsin brides have the largest weddings, averaging 189 invitees).

Brides are not prolonging their engagements; the average wedding-planning period is 11 months. New York brides are engaged the longest (13.1 months), while Las Vegas brides have the shortest engagements (9.1 months).

Weddings are getting less formal: Weddings are split in terms of formality: 66% were characterized as “semi-formal” as compared to 45% in 2006 and 20% are characterized as “formal/black tie, down from 42% in 2006.”

The average bridal party in 2007 was comprised of 4 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen.
The groom is significantly involved in planning: 36% of grooms were ‘very involved’ and 57% of grooms were ‘somewhat involved’

Reception venues of choice in 2007 were reception halls (29%), hotel (19%), club (yacht, country, etc.) (16%), restaurants (9%), historic mansions (7%), with the remaining 20% going to parks and gardens, museums and cultural centers, private homes, loft and raw spaces, and other reception venues.

The most important reception venue features were: a great space for dancing (81%), a picturesque backdrop for photos (65%), an outdoor area for cocktails (52%), a breathtaking view (39%), and a waterside location (25%).

DESTINATION WEDDINGS: COUPLES ARE TRAVELING TO TIE THE KNOT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY LEAVING THE COUNTRY

Destination weddings are more popular: With a destination wedding characterized as “200 or more miles away from where the bride and groom live (including non US locations)” and “at least 80% of guests requiring overnight accommodations” approximately 1 in 10 couples have a destination wedding (8-10%).

Approximately 25% of destination weddings occur outside the US.

20% of couples are traveling at least 200 miles from where they reside to get married.

PHOTOGRAPHY: PHOTOGRAPHY GOES DIGITAL AND COSTS GO UP

Couples spent 8% more on their photographers in 2007 vs. 2006 ($2,651 vs. $2,466).

A mix of traditional and photojournalistic photography is what most (71%) couples desire, while 18% chose to place emphasis on candid photos.

There was a 61% increase in use of digital-only photography at weddings.

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Top reception band and music style choices in 2007 were rock-and-roll/Motown (37%) and big band/swing/jazz (21%).

It is interesting to see where I am more or less than the average. Also, interesting that they pull out NYC at times.