Promotional Products Work | Must Read 1 Finding the right venue 46% 2 Locating the perfect wedding dress 37% 3 Deciding who will be in the wedding party 31% 4 Finding a photographer/videographer 26% 5 Arranging the catering 24% 6 Deciding on a color scheme 22% 7 Selecting the music playlist 20% 8 Choosing wedding invitations 18% 9 Deciding on the first dance song 18% 10 Finding bridesmaids’ dresses 16% When brides or grooms to be visit your shop or schedule a meeting with you, you can leave a lasting impression with branded merchandise. Fun Favors Not all couples give wedding favors, but those who do spend an average of about $450, with favors averaging $1-$3 per person. Some of the trendiest wedding favors now include coasters, magnets, mini bottles of wine and hand sanitizer. Customized items like these let the newlyweds express their personality and show appreciation to those who commemorated their big day with them. Pop The Champagne After waiting an average of 18 months from engagement to wedding day, today’s couples are ready to party – and they’re celebrating in all kinds of ways. According to research from Zola, couples host an average of three celebrations in addition to their big day. Here’s how they’re celebrating: Planning A Picture-Perfect Event According to Minted, brides and grooms say these are the most important wedding elements: 1 Bachelor/bachelorette parties 81% 2 Rehearsal dinners 80% 3 Wedding showers 60% 4 After-party receptions 37% 5 Goodbye brunches 30% Attendees can drink up all the fun with items like personalized wine glasses, cocktail shakers, barware and tumblers. Put A Ring On It Last year, the average cost of the bride’s rings (engagement and wedding band) topped $6,000, while the price for the groom’s wedding ring averaged about $470. About 1 in 5 brides choose their ring themselves, with most (73%) opting for white gold. Jewelers and engagement ring designers can use promotional products to build awareness at bridal shows and to elevate the experience when couples work with them. The Most Wedding-Friendly Cities WalletHub looked at more than 180 U.S. cities to determine the most affordable and convenient places to tie the knot. These places rose to the top based on factors like average wedding cost, event spaces per capita and hotel availability. 1 Orlando, Fla. 2 Las Vegas 3 Miami 4 Knoxville, Tenn. 5 Tulsa, Okla. 6 El Paso, Texas 7 Tampa, Fla. 8 Laredo, Tex. 9 Atlanta 10 Charleston, West Va. Most Popular Locations For Destination Weddings One out of every four weddings is a destination wedding, according to GroupTravel.org. Most people who choose this option (80%) have been married before and are willing to shell out big bucks for their big day. Last year, the destination wedding market was valued at more than $21 billion and is projected to grow to $64 billion by 2026, according to Globe Newswire. When couples are traveling domestically to tie the knot, they’re most often going to: • Nevada • Florida • California • Hawaii Internationally, they’re jetting off to: • The Caribbean • Mexico BackWood / Shutterstock.com PPAI • JANUARY 2023 • 55
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