WONDERING ABOUT WEDDINGS?

If your shop has an interest in being a wedding provider, it s important to stay current about trends and research as to what is happening in the industry.
We all know that getting the word out can be the most challenging and costly part of this decision to be a wedding provider. What marketing techniques work for one marketing idea may prove to have great success in some areas but not in all. When determining a marketing plan, ask yourself how many bookings you will have to have to get to the breakeven point. For example, if a wedding show costs you $2,00.00 for a booth space, then factor in product for display, labor to have the display pieces made, and staffing for the show, you are probably looking at about $4,000.00 in real costs. So the question is how many wedding you will have to book before you recoup your investment to participate in that event. While it may sound grand and glorious, is it really cost efficient to participate or should you explore other options for showcasing your design work?
Many weddings are taking a different direction. No longer are religious sites the only place for consideration to host the events. Local gardens, museums, art galleries, beaches, and city parks are just a few more personalized places for weddings to take place. Religious facilities are still the most popular; however, destination weddings are gaining quickly in popularity. These out of town events can have a positive effect on your business if you are in an area that is conducive for this, or have a negative effect if your current customers are abandoning you for the sake of a more desirable venue. Also, with these types of weddings, there are far fewer guests leaving to share the moment since travel costs prohibit many from going to the event. Again, this can be a good thing for those customers who went away now return to have a reception – celebration party in their home town. Make sure you are a big part of this celebration!
One of the most important considerations is for you to know what colors are in style in your market area and be aware of flowers that compliment and coordinate with the more popular colors. Try to eliminate the word ‘match’ from your vocabulary. Words such as compliment and coordinate are better choices and since you do not want to match since putting the same color flower on the same color background causing the flowers to disappear plus, it diminishes the impact.
What color harmonies that are embraced in one area of the country may not have the same level of acceptance in another. It is the same with dress styles. That is why it is important to know your customers likes and preferences prior to making any price quotes. If your potential bride has champagne taste and a water budget, there could be some big areas of potential disappointment. Having a casual conversation about the wedding and her vision of this special day will help you determine what direction to steer in. What you might find is that you will be better to recommend another shop to do the wedding instead of disappointing your bride and having her give your shop a negative endorsement or doing executing the bride’s wishes and not making a profit on the event. Again, it is better to say to say,” let me recommend a shop that might be better suited for you than we are”, instead of allowing your profit margin to go to the negative.
Here are some fun facts that might help in your wedding planning:
– the average age of a bride in the US is 25.3
– the average age of a groom is 26.9
– average number of guests invited to a wedding is 178
– 1/3 of those getting married have been married before
– The average cost of a wedding is $20,000
– The average cost spent on the rings is $1,016
– The average honeymoon budget is $3,657.00
The question you want to ask yourself is how much of this $20, 00.00 are you getting for the work you do? Is it profitable for your shop or just a way to have fun and allow yourself to expand your creative boundaries? Is your shop set up to handle smaller weddings at a good profit return or do you have the staffing and resources to accommodate larger events?
Whatever level you are most comfortable with, make sure to include the beauty of Florabundance flowers at this special event. Partner with your Account Manager for ideas and recommendations to make this part of your business a success.