Bridal Focus Forum
Our annual Bridal Focus Forum last month was held at the "quietly elegant, subdued" Tragara Ristorante in Bethesda, Maryland. Those in attendance were treated to calamari and white pizza as they arrived and a dinner choice of salmon, chicken or pasta with Tiramisu for dessert.
There were 41 members in attendance - one of our largest in a long time. Way to go, AWP!
Our panel this year consisted of six couples. Ken Rochon, Jr., Past President of AWP, was our Emcee for the evening asking the couples various questions aimed at helping our membership improve their services.
Following is a summary of the Forum:
Length of engagement ranged anywhere from six months up to two years. Their budgets ranged from $8,000 up to $25,000 with attendance from 70 up to 160 guests.
When asked how much the grooms and brides thought the wedding would cost, most of the grooms didn't have a figure in mind, didn't care or asked recently married friends what they spent. However, most of the brides had a figure in mind, knowing what they wanted to spend.
The major categories that most couples decided to spend more significantly on were:
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Photography
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Videography
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Flowers
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Venue
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Food
When the grooms were asked how much they handled the planning, four helped with 50% or more, one with 25% and one with 20%. When asked what the grooms cared about the most, including the honeymoon, with regard to their wedding, the answers varied. From reception, photography and honeymoon to limo, rehearsal dinner and the engagement and wedding rings.
Only half the couples on the panel used a wedding coordinator to either assist them with some of the planning or just "day of" services. Of those that used a wedding coordinator, one couple used the groom's aunt, another couple relied on the DJ and another couple that used a coordinator to help plan did not think the coordinator did the best job on the day of with the timing and dealing with a large family.
When the panel was asked how many vendors they contacted and/or met with before making a decision if they didn't have referrals for vendors, they answered as follows:
1. Used DJ as coordinator; visited two places for venues and researched dozens of caterers – met with two and spoke to two; photographer met with one and looked at one Web site; met with DJ and florist; one cake; invitations – online; no limo
2. Looked at five venues in person; caterers – not interviewed but went to bridal shows to meet a lot of vendors; photographers – met with four; musicians – two, videographer – one; invitations on own; limo from bridal show; met with three wedding consultants
3. 10-17 venues; photographer – saw four studios and bridal shows; musicians - friends; video – met with four or five; florists met with three; cakes - bridal shows; invitations - done by friend online; no limo; met with three wedding consultants
4. A lot of research over the phone - venues - 20 places - two meetings; went with caterer at venue; photographer - researched 20 - met with one; music - researched 12 - only met with one; no videographer; florist - researched six and met with one; cake at venue; invitations done by friend; no limo; no wedding coordinator.
5. Met with only strong possibilities - visited nine venues, two venues recommended same DJ; photo – visited bridal shows, looked at Web sites, phone interviews - met with one; video – recommended; invitations – couple did themselves; wedding consultant - used aunt
6. Venue – four; caterers – zero; photographer – one; music – met with two DJ’s; video – one; florist - one; no cakes – got from restaurant, invitation– one; no limo and no wedding coordinator
By a show of hands, most couples visited bridal shows and one to three of the vendors were selected from the bridal shows.
Since we are so Internet driven now, the panel was asked what general recommendations they would have about how to make vendors Web sites better tools for couples planning their wedding. The panel said to make sure the Web site is easy to navigate, would like to see prices and a section on things you should consider when you are considering this vendor. The panels' recommendations were: go above and beyond with the little details, which shows you care. If you don't want to give specific prices, then post a price range. Have your contact information on the front page with no frames and return phone calls.
All the couples used an Internet wedding planning site and two couples used more than one. Three couples used chat boards. With regard to using chat boards, the couples were asked if it changed any of their decisions. Some said they pointed them in the right directions that they may not have originally thought of such as finding a venue, videography, and travel agent. Some said they just browsed the chat boards to check that they had everything covered, to get ideas as well as finding out what vendors were used, get tips and basically used them as a research tool.
Besides the Internet, all couples used a local bridal magazine and most couples used more than one magazine.
The couples were asked which vendors pleased them the most. Here are their answers:
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Rehearsal dinner venue -asked how they were doing – they “got it” that it was their wedding, vendor was excited for couple. Made effort to befriend them.
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Vendors asking personal questions after the wedding of how so and so is doing, etc.
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Vendor didn’t make them feel bad when couple asked how they can save money
The couples were asked if there were any disappointments with the services they booked that possibly could have been avoided. Those that answered, one couple said they felt their venue treated them as a number and most couples said they really didn't have any disappointments except one complaint with one couple's cake - bride told baker she didn't want plastic columns. Cake arrived with plastic columns and tried to disguise them behind flowers.
That conculded the formal questions and now it was time to open the floor to the AWP members to ask the panel some questions:
1. How many guests said they were coming but didn't? 2-12 guests
2. Where did you go on your honeymoon? Did you use a travel agent? Disney World, own agent; Anguila, travel agent; Ausrailia. New Zealand, Tahiti, online travel service; Disney World and cruise with travel agent; Disney World - no travel agent and Maui did online;
Aruba - no travel agent, but venue assisted with honeymoon.
3. What percentage of your budget went to photography? Couples answered anywhere from 10% up to 25%.
4. Did your budget include the rings and honeymoon? All answered "No."
5. Did you use the AWP Web site to find vendors? Most couples said "yes."
6. What was your major purchase after the wedding? House, HDTV, computer, video camera and pro level digital camera.
7. What was your reasons for choosing a particular vendor over another? Rapport, Web site and level of professionalism.
8. Did you use referrals? All couples answered that they used referrals but checked out the Web sites for comparison.
9. Did you use any vendors without looking at their Web sites? All couples, but one, answered "yes."
10. Did you use a search engine or standard Web site for research? Used Google, bridal Web site recommendations, referrals, and national photography Web site. One couple said some search engines were too vague to try to search. One couple commented that they can tell from a Web site their sense of professionalism and taste. A lot of couples used
Google to find a first dance song, last dance song and details such as that.
11. Did you use Web sites to find your florist? Some did, but when they went to visit the shops, some did not have pictures. So the couple suggested to florists to make sure they have photos on their Web site of actual weddings they have done as well as in their shops. Show actual flowers of a wedding they are currently working on, if possible.
All in all, the evening was a success. We heard a lot of great things from our couples and, hopefully, we will be able to put some of their ideas to good use.
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