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Our regular Vendor Tips column has been a huge hit so far! This week we’re talking about one of the first decisions a wedding vendor has to make – which wedding market are you targeting?

Engaged couples come in all shapes, sizes, genders and personalities. It’s important for you to narrow down a sector of this market to help you target your advertising and promotional efforts. Targeting a defined market will also make your job more enjoyable – you’ll be working on the types of weddings you enjoy and skipping the others.

In this article I talk about some of the different wedding markets and what you need to think about if you’re targeting each one.

Defining Your Market by Gender

In the wedding market (which caters to predominantly hetero couples), the people making the majority of purchasing decisions are women. Hence, most wedding marketing material is directed at and designed to appeal to women.

However, that’s not to say that men don’t have a say in their wedding decisions, and there are plenty of wedding businesses that target men – suit hire, entertainment, transportation. When marketing to men it’s all about using images and words to appeal to their specific tastes.

As same-sex weddings become more commonplace, a market for LGBT couples is emerging that blurs the lines of traditional wedding gender roles even further. Being a same-sex or “gay-friendly” wedding vendor is definitely becoming more popular, and requires you to rethink the language associated with more traditional, hetero-women-oriented wedding marketing.

Defining Your Market By Budget

Weddings in New Zealand fall into three distinct budget categories.

• Budget Weddings: In New Zealand: These are generally considered to be weddings with a budget of $15,000 or less. Budget weddings often involve a lot of DIY and imaginative details. They often don’t see the value in hiring professionals over asking friends/family to help. Most alternative weddings fall into this category.
• Mid-Range Weddings: The “average” NZ wedding will cost between $15,000 - 30,000. Mid-Range weddings tend to be most concerned with obtaining “the right” vendors and getting the details “correct”. Weddings in this category often look very similar and have a lot of the same elements. Couples are often looking for “packages” that make the planning process simpler.
• High-End Weddings: These are the weddings costing over $30,000. These couples are looking for quality and bespoke features, so offer lots of choices for customization and a high level of personal service. High-end weddings often involve elaborate décor and themes, and are often featured in magazines and websites.

Defining Your Market by Style

Some wedding products and services are better marketed to a certain demographic or style market. Here are some of the most common markets:

• Religious Markets: Many vendors will find a niche within a specific religious group. For example, Melissa Dinwiddie is an artist who creates ketubeh (wedding certificates) for Jewish couples.
• Wedding Theme Markets: These are markets where the theme of the wedding dictates the choice of products, for example, wedding favors designed for beach weddings, gothic wedding dresses or vintage-style wedding photography.
• Lifestyle Markets: Many couples fit into a certain sub-culture or subscribe to a set of beliefs. For example, Paperless Weddings are focused on the eco-friendly market, and my own services as an “alternative” wedding celebrant are designed for weird and wonderful couples!

Finding your wedding market will determine the price range of your products, the types of packages and services you offer, the style of weddings you do, the types of people you will work with and the way you advertise your services. So, which wedding market are you?