Today's Weddings

According the U.S. Census Bureau, on average, there are 2.2 million weddings a year in the United States. That's quite a number. Not surprisingly, they don't all take place in a house of worship. According to the Bridal Association of America, 12 percent of couples now choose a "destination" wedding. In addition, 8 percent of brides and 11 percent of grooms aren't walking down the aisle for the first time.

Granted, these may not sound like huge numbers, but times are changing, and more couples these days are celebrating their big day in non-traditional ways. Non-traditional weddings — including second (or subsequent) marriages, destination weddings, and same sex ceremonies — are a real part of the $70 billion a year U.S. bridal business. Specialty retailers looking to get this business need to be aware of the new niches in the market.

"I've been in business 13 years," says Alan Picard, owner of Alan's Party Plus, a stationery store in Birmingham, AL. "It was about five years ago that I saw a trickle of women having destination weddings. It's grown very much in the last three years,"

"With people's busy schedules, a destination wedding is a wedding and a honeymoon at once. It's convenient and less expensive," explains Susan D'Amour, president of Lillian Rose, Mukwonago, WI.

The trend is certainly growing in popularity. "Beach resorts are marketing aggressively for the wedding market," says Beverly Clark, owner and designer of Beverly Clark Collection, N. Chicago, IL. "Sandals (resorts) do 12,000 weddings a year, and offers all-inclusive packages for the guests. The resort even has a consultant who will put the wedding together for you."

Bridal accessories, like brides, are varied. And for destination weddings, the accessories aren't all that different. Depending on the bride and her tastes, destination weddings can be formal, casual, modern or traditional. There is one exception, however: themed accessories. Brides often want accessories that feature a motif that reflects the destination they've chosen. For instance, a palm tree for a beach wedding or dice for a wedding set in Las Vegas.

Luckily, many bridal manufacturers now offer such themed accessories. The most popular theme is the beach; the Beverly Clark Collection, Cathy's Concepts and Lillian Rose all offer sea-inspired collections. But all brides won't like the same accessories, so it's important to carry different styles for her to choose from.

One difference between a bride planning a local wedding and a bride having a destination wedding is the amount of accessories she will purchase. "Brides want beach-themed products to go along with their theme. But they may not need all the accessories they'd normally have for a local wedding," says D'Amour.

What does sell well with destination brides are things they can take on the honeymoon. Best sellers at Lillian Rose include tote bags, towels and a gift set of bath confetti, bath salts and a door hanger from the Let the Fun Begin collection. Some of the more popular destination bridal accessories can also be personalized, which is a big trend in bridal.

"We had one bride getting married at the beach; she gave monogrammed hats and beach bags to the guests," says Chris Murphy.

While a beach wedding is probably the most popular destination, couples are also running off to the mountains, Las Vegas, Europe or other places deemed suitably "exotic" to make the day more memorable. Accessories can also feature a color that reflects the destination, rather than a specific motif.

"More and more brides are turning to color," affirms Alan Picard. But he notes that brides don't always want to match accessories to the destination. "It's probably 50/50. Some are open to more things, different styles. Destination brides want guest books and other accessories, and they may take a knife and cake server with them, but they may not want a traditional style," he says.

"I think it depends on how formal she wants to make her event. It depends on the style and vision of the bride," says Clark.

As with traditional weddings, stationery products are top priority. "I focus on invitations, that's where it really begins," explains Picard. "With destination weddings, couples often don't invite as many people. But they will do an announcement."

Another trend is getting married on location and later having a party locally. That means invitations and announcements to accommodate both dates.

The bottom line: when it comes to destination weddings every bride wants to make her wedding as unique as she is. Therefore, retailers need to offer a variety of styles to coordinate with destinations and personal tastes, because the bride will keep shopping until she finds what she wants.

Brides celebrating their second wedding often aren't looking for the same elaborate accessories as the first time around. "[Second time] brides choose nicer accessories. More tasteful," says D'Amour.

"The bride is more mature, a better decision maker," adds Picard. "It'll be more elegant, not as much frou-frou." Picard also notes that second time brides have more disposable income, and look for less "trinkety" gifts to give as wedding favors. So don't be afraid to carry a few higher-priced items in your bridal section.

These brides are also looking to give items that are either useful or can be consumed. "A second bride will give gift bags with coffee, tea or candy — things guests can take home and enjoy," says D'Amour. Lillian Rose offers a wide selection of favor boxes in various styles that brides can fill with gifts.

Clark agrees, and also offers a wide selection of useful favors. "We offer silver frames that double as placecard holders, and silver luggage tags that can be used as napkin rings," she says. Clark strongly advises retailers to display these items properly. "Stores have to be creative with accessories or people won't know what to do with them," she says.

But brides will be brides, after all, whether they're getting married for the first time, the second time or at some exotic locale. What all want is attention and guidance. To be a successful bridal retailer, you need to act as a consultant. Give her ideas, guide her and be a sound voice during her wedding planning. She'll appreciate your kindness and think of you for future events, as well as gift buying.

Picard builds a relationship with brides who come to his shop for invitations and gifts. "We expose them to a lot of things when they first come in. They're not going to buy [right away], but I show them their options and go from there," says Picard. "I encourage them to make multiple trips without buying. I tell them to look and come back, because then they'll love what they buy. I'm there to guide them," he tells Gifts & Decorative Accessories.

With the number of people a bride has to deal with, it's a comfort for her to find someone whose opinions she can trust. "Brides like familiarity," says Picard. "I tell my staff, 'Just help people. I don't care if you sell or not, just help people.'"

But don't overstep your bounds, advises Chris Murphy, owner of The Front Porch, a gift store in Pennington, NJ. "It's really up to the bride. You just try to direct [her]. If you see she's going down the wrong path, you can give an opinion. But normally you can't," she says.

And it's important to follow these rules. If retailers do, brides will respect their opinions and return for future purchases and advice. "We've had brides that we helped for their first wedding come in for their second. It's sad, but I guess it's good that they came back!" adds Murphy.