2012 Wedding Industry Predictions

Wedding Professionals:

In 2012, brides will look to be transformed on their big day and they will make their day an extension of their personal individuality.  According to one of our wedding community's members, Streetlight Republic Photography¸“2012 is all about Romance. Lace. Ruffles. Princesses.  The scenery and props of Pride and Prejudice combined with Cinderella’s wedding gown and horse drawn carriage (maybe not a pumpkin though) would be right on trend."  Here is a little preview of what Streetlight Republic Photography expects to see this coming year:

1.  Colors are all over.It doesn’t seem like you can go wrong with any color palette. Some popular mixes are red cherry and lime, coral and grey, hot pink and black or white, mocha with soft pinks, light blue and aqua, and a mixture of oranges.

2.  Themed weddings are back.Everything from the cake and invitations to dinner and the venue will tie into the theme.

3.  Romantic elegance is the biggie in 2012.This is where the princess part comes in.  Think silver or gold accents, chandeliers, English gardens, statues, ball gowns, hats and gloves, romantic candlelight, soft hair.

4.  Pets in the wedding party are still huge. Everyone will be oooing and ahhing over your sweet pup as he stumbles down the aisle to bring your rings. Some are even dressing them in tiny tuxes or dresses to match the wedding party.

5.  Dresses are romantic.Victorian style dresses, horsehair trim, corsets, layers of soft ruffles, lace sleeves, two tiered skirts, short lengths and illusion necklines are a few of the big trends. It is also okay to add a little color this year. We are seeing dresses in light sage and blush — a beautiful addition.

According to another one of our wedding community's members, April Schuster of Southern California Bridal District:

6.  The night doesn't end with the reception. Hosting an "after party" is gaining more and more popularity amongst couples who want their wedding festivities to last longer.  This can be as simple as inviting your bridal party to your favorite bar or lounge after the reception, to inviting all your wedding guests to brunch the day after the wedding. 

7.  Surprises are a must. Whether the surprise is fireworks, a food truck, or even the couple performing a secret dance, it will catch guests off guard & set the tone for an amazing, fun wedding.

Amy VanMeter Events, yet another member of our wedding community, also agrees that 2012 will be a year of romance. From the dress to the decor, think - dreamy, sentimental, love.  Here’s what Amy predicts:

8.  Bridal Gowns- What says romance more than Victorian-style. Sleeves and illusion necklines provide an aura of royalty for every bride.

9.  Full-Scale Themes- More than a color palette themes are carried through from the invitations to the flowers to the linens to the dessert. Some popular themes include: vintage, rustic & nautical. Creativity knows no bounds, so pick one that reflects you & show it in the details.

10.  Outdoor Venues - Natural settings are popular for the beauty and ambiance that they provide & the minimal decor that is required. Popular places include: Vineyards, Gardens & Farms.

11.  Dessert Tables- Gone are the days of only having a wedding cake and maybe a groom's cake. Today, couples are offering up their favorite desserts at their receptions. From pies to cupcakes to cookies, it's a buffet of beautifully displayed flavors and options for guests.

12.  Good Night Station- Couples now are combining food and favor into a fun, interactive station for their guests.  Buffets of pastries, doughnuts or candy provide guests with a goody bag to go.

13.  Faux Flower Decor- Whether paper, fabric, tissue or feathers - bouquets, centerpieces & pomander balls aren't just made from fresh flowers anymore.

14.  Personalized DIY decor- This is not a new trend but continues strong as many brides are getting crafty to showcase their personality & theme and save some money.  The creativity is in using 'found' and natural elements to create centerpieces, escort cards, guest book alternatives, swizzle sticks, table numbers & decor.

Finally, I personally believe that wedding professionals will continue to demonstrate that they are online savvy. 

15.  It will be hard to find a wedding professional that is not on Facebook and Twitter.  And now, they are even flocking to new social networks like Pinterest and Google+.  If you are a wedding professional who wants to get free tips on how to use social media to grow your wedding business, then check out these free videos.

So, how can wedding professionals stay on top in 2012?  Here are some free marketing tactics to help you out...

• Exchange website links. If you want to exchange links with other wedding vendors, list your link in our Wedding Vendor Link Exchange Group.
• Get More Facebook Fans. Get the word out by posting your fan page information in our Facebook Fan Pages Group.
  
• Encourage vendors to post your messages on Twitter.  If you'd like other vendors to tweet about your blog post, contest or sale, then list it in our Twitter This Please Group.  
• Ask a question. Our forum has over 900 discussion threads. If you have a question, why not peruse these discussions to see if you can find an answer.
• Partner with other wedding professionals. Our wedding community is a great place to create and foster mutually beneficial relationships with other wedding professionals.
• Get free marketing.  You can have your full blog post appear on BridalTweet's homepage for free. This will give you a chance to be in the spotlight.

My mission at BridalTweet is to help you grow your wedding businesses in 2012 and beyond.  In 2011, I launched BridalTweet's Preferred Vendor Listings and a social media training course.  Both programs were wildly successful.  In 2012, I will offer additional marketing courses and I'll continue my free, weekly marketing blog. Feel free to browse the 50+ marketing articles that I’ve already written about to grow your wedding business.

I want to personally thank you for all of your inspiration, enthusiasm and support in 2012. It’s amazing to me that our community has over 14,000 members! We have grown up very quickly with over 20,000 people visiting our community each month. We can all be really proud of what we have created here. Together, we're taking a REAL leadership role in shaping how the wedding industry can continue to connect and prosper. It is my hope that you have been inspired by the connections that you have made at BridalTweet. Personally, the relationships and support that I have gained from you have been so incredibly encouraging. Thank you for keeping me AND this community going!  Happy New Year to the entire wedding community and I wish you all a very prosperous 2012.

What are your predictions for 2012 weddings? Please comment below.

Did this blog post help you? Then be sure to add your email address to my mailing list by joining BridalTweet - this will ensure that you'll get this free wedding marketing advice delivered to your inbox each week.

Enjoy!

About This Blog: Christine Dyer is the Creator and Founder of BridalTweet. Christine has an MBA in marketing and shares over twelve years of marketing expertise with the wedding community. In this weekly blog, you'll find advice on an array of wedding business topics such as how to market to brides, social networking, wedding PR, wedding sales, vendor networking, branding, pricing and much more. Please pass this news along to your own professional wedding network. To receive this advice in your email inbox each week, Sign Up for a Free BridalTweet Membership.