Are you one of those people who actually opens every email? Or are you officially spam-blind, deleting every non-human sent message that winds up in your inbox? We tend to be in the latter camp, but when we got the notification from The Knot that their 2019 Global Wedding Report had recently been released, that was an email you KNOW we had to open! This was FREE market research, and if there’s two things we love more than anything it’s nerdy stuff like research and anything that’s free! But as much as we love knowing the facts, we don’t always love doing the hard part to extract them. Which is why as our gift to you (saying that makes us feel like a game show host!) we’ve taken the most applicable info to wedding photographers and broken it down. Paired along with some ways to actually implement these new stats, we’re preeeeetttty pumped about the positive changes these analytics can bring to your business!
Before we get started, let’s chat about where this data all came from. (We told you this was gonna get nerdy and we LOVE IT.) 20,000 couples across 14 different countries were polled, but for the purpose of this post (and the fact that most of our followers are based in either Canada or America like we are) we’re going to focus on those locations. If you’re from one of those other areas a lot of this will still be helpful, but you can also go check out the report itself for more specific deets.
FACT: Couples are seeking ways to put a personal stamp on their wedding days more than ever
HOW YOU CAN ROCK THAT:
Ooooooh guys, you know we love this one because we are ALL about making every wedding day unique to our couples! Weddings have gotten so customizable, and we are always looking for ways to go above and beyond for our brides and grooms. Some ideas for helping them to make their day more unique could include creating a custom snapchat filter for their event as a gift, creating a personalized wedding website for their photos, a same day slideshow to surprise guests at the reception or even helping them find ways to incorporate their faces (i.e. engagement photos) throughout the wedding. The report tells us that they are already looking for ways to infuse themselves into their wedding details, so let’s go above and beyond and be the ones to help!
FACT: Fall is the most popular time to get married in North America, and December is the most popular time to get engaged (with 19% of US engagements happening that month)
HOW YOU CAN ROCK THAT:
With all of the amazing tools out there to allow targeting posts and tracking analytics, we basically feel like we’ve got the biggest advantage knowing these stats. Why? Well, now we know that when December comes around we best be cranking out those targeted Facebook and Instagram ads announcing our services to brides in our ideal demographic. It’s also a great reminder to make sure you’re putting extra effort into publishing your wedding posts at the most ideal engagement times during fall, when feeds will be a bit more saturated with wedding images already.
FACT: 53% of couples in the US are using a wedding hashtag, and 45% in Canada
HOW YOU CAN ROCK THAT:
This one speaks for itself. Your couples have hashtags, but are you using them?! From the very start of your relationship you need to be asking for that hashtag! Why? It’s basically a teeny little gift (that happens to also look like a waffle, so how can you NOT love it?!) By using a hashtag you’re giving your images a direct route straight from your accounts into the hands of your most valuable prospective clients – your couple’s peers! These are the best kind of leads because they are already pre-qualified, and also happen to adore the subject matter of your images already. Months or years down the road when these friends get engaged, you’ll be right at the front of their minds and remembered as the person who made their friends look amazing!
FACT: The average US couple spends $29,200 on their entire wedding
HOW YOU CAN ROCK THAT:
We all know about those planning resources pushed into bride’s hands from the moment they are first engaged. They’ve got all the tips and tricks, and are sometimes considered the “rule book” for every aspect of the wedding planning process, including the budget. On average, these resources instruct couples to allot 12% of their total budget to photography, which based on the above numbers equals $3500 for the average wedding commission. (We know, we’re doing math but stay with us!) The fact of the matter is, if you are currently charging less than this, this is a great motivator to know that as your skills and experience increase your price point most likely can too. (YAAASS!) It’s also a wonderful reminder that if you are charging more than this, you need to have the knowledge, experience, reviews and amazing customer experience to back it up. Value is determined by all of these things as well as the perception of your brand, so make sure all of this is in alignment and price yourself accordingly.
Let’s end with a pep-fact (kind of like a pep talk, but in fact form ; )
One of the most amazing things we loved reading was that across the world, photography is most often seen as the most important vendor, with 80% of couples hiring a professional. This makes our hearts so incredibly happy. Not because we’re in the photo-taking business, but because we like to think of ourselves as being in the love story business. The idea that so many couples are putting such a giant priority on saving their story for the generations to come makes us feel so warm and fuzzy inside our hearts could just about burst. Way to go world, you’re still a love-filled amazing place after all!
We hope that just like us you found these stats helpful, not just in an informational way but in an IMPLEMENTABLE way. Consider this your official leg up into prepping for the upcoming year, and go get to work!
As always we love when you inspire our upcoming education posts, so reach out to us on social media or through a comment below if there’s a topic you’d like to see up next! Happy shooting friends!
Love + Laughs,
Sarah & Ben
