I’m getting married! Yes, it’s extremely exciting and as a groom to be, I am learning a lot. Oh, I’ve been a part of weddings before – I’m a two-time best man – and I’ve been close to family members who have gotten married with full on weddings. But there is nothing like going through planning your own wedding. It’s absolutely wonderful … and extremely intense.
Let’s talk about money for a moment. Yikes! This is a very special event and people dream of their wedding day their entire lives, so it is absolutely the right thing to make it as special as possible. Yikes!
Suzanne and I have been reading a lot of books as we prepare for our wedding. We are very interested in what Emily Post’s granddaughter Peggy has to say, for sure. And we are planning a vintage 1930’s themed wedding complete with wedding gown, morning coat, music and drinks that were popular in the art deco era, so we have done our research into what will make for an authentic early 1930’s affair.
But one of our favorite books is Bridal Bargains: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget by Denise and Alan Fields. I learned that the average wedding in the U.S. costs $20,000 and that over $23 Billion is spent annually just on the wedding & reception – that’s bigger than the breakfast cereal industry! Add another $19 Billion spent on gifts and $8 Billion on honeymoons and we’re looking at a $50 Billion wedding industry!
Looking for a small business idea? You gotta get you a piece of that action! Hey, we brides & grooms to be are seriously motivated consumers. We know what we want and we’re willing to spend the cash to get it. And don’t discount the moms & dads of brides & grooms. They have a strongly vested interest in these wedding celebrations themselves, and many of them have been saving up for years just for this occasion.
Let’s just take a very quick inventory of the people who provide goods and services necessary for a complete wedding celebration. Seamstresses, bakers, caterers, valet parkers, limo providers, consultants, photographers, videographers, rental agents, vacation planners, florists, musicians, jewelers, makeup artists, retail clothiers, calligraphers, printers … oh there are plenty more but my head is starting to hurt.
In case you’re thinking that there are already so many people in this vast wedding industry and that it’d be just too difficult to break into it, let me share something that the Fields state in their book: most people who provide wedding goods & services don’t see you as a repeat customer so there is a very serious lack of good customer service.
There’s your opportunity, right there!! Pick something you feel you’d enjoy doing, start out part time – after all much of this wedding stuff happens on weekends – and make your customers feel like they are the most special people on the planet. You’ll bring great happiness to an already joyous occasion, and you’ll create some terrific referrals for your second customer.
So, go for it. Join an industry that isn’t likely to go away any time soon. The wedding season is almost upon us!
