Top 8 Things Couples Want from Wedding Planners in 2024

Listen up, event vendors! It’s 2024 and the days of the copy-paste, one-template-fits-all luxury wedding is so over.

For those of us in the event industry, we need to be on the forefront of innovation for our clients. Understanding how couples are planning their dream weddings is crucial in positioning your business as their go-to for bringing their special day to life.

WeddingPro’s Real Weddings 2024 vendor report is here and packed with juicy insights from 10,000 couples who tied the knot in 2023. We combed this report for key facts vendors can use to elevate their events and are sharing them with you!

Here are the top 8 luxury wedding tips for planners in 2024:

1. Planning Happens Fast

The average age of marrying couples is 32 years old, with engagements lasting about 15 months. However, 25% of couples are fast-forwarding to the big day with an engagement of 9 months or less. The majority of newly engaged couples start planning their wedding less than a month after getting engaged. So be prepared to be available and able to execute on a tighter timeline.

2. Guest Experience Matters

A whopping 75% of couples say that guest experience is their top wedding priority. This major shift away from “been there, done that” celebrations to dynamic, engaging events means every guest leaves feeling like they were part of something special. On average, couples are enlisting 14 wedding pros to nail this vibe, proving couples are all in on creating the best guest experience possible. Only 16% of couples had a DIY wedding, so vendors who can help create the best wedding experience will win the most clients.

3. Authenticity is Key

Millennial and Gen Z couples account for 68% of couples getting married. These demographics value genuine personalization, can smell phony a mile away, and only buy from businesses that align with their values. Over 70% rely on referrals from friends and family when choosing a wedding vendor, so being someone they can trust is key! These demographics prefer seeking out small businesses and researching businesses owned by underrepresented groups such as LGBTQ+ and women-owned.

4. Go Digital

This is important: A staggering 91% of luxury wedding planning in 2023 took place online, spotlighting the necessity for your business to be tech-savvy. The majority of people getting married, Gen Z and millennials, live on their phones and the internet. When surveyed, 42% of Gen Z and 32% of millennials said they prefer to communicate with wedding vendors via text. So it may be worth investing in a website app that allows customers to contact you via text message. From digital contracts and online payments to virtual meetings and communication, it’s in your best interest to incorporate technology that can help your business be more efficient.

5. Fall is the New June

Fall weddings are officially trending, with 42% of couples opting for the season’s crisp air and autumn colors. The top predicted wedding dates for 2024 are September 14th, September 21st, and October 12th. So open up those calendars to be able to accommodate couples during these weeks.

6. Colorful Palettes

Wave goodbye to the days of all-white wedding palettes. While white, champagne, and gold color palettes are still popular, 2024 will see a surge of unique colors like green, blue, and pink. These vivid hues reflect the trend of couples wanting to make more of a statement with their palettes and infuse more personality into the design.

7. Make It Personal

Luxury weddings are becoming deeply personal affairs and rely on unique details that tell their love story. 63% of couples say that they need their wedding to be a true reflection of their relationship and that personalization is the most important thing to them during the planning process. So make it your mission to get to know the couple and try to incorporate unique details throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.

8. Keep Budget in Mind

Good news: Couples are spending more with vendors across almost every wedding category. But 50% of couples compare costs among vendors, so make sure yours are competitive. Although the number one challenge couples face when planning a wedding is staying within the budget, 56% of couples ended up spending more than initially budgeted. Why? Because guest experience is prioritized over cost.

And even if you’re not a planner, it’s your job to make sure your services stay within the budget. In fact, 50% of couples said one or more vendors helped them to maintain their wedding budget. So being a key resource, even if it’s not your job, will make you a valuable asset to your client.

So, what’s the bottom line? Weddings of 2024 are shaping up to be deeply personal, unique, vibrantly colored, and memorable with customized experiences. This year’s trends are a call to action for us in the event industry to innovate, personalize, and push the boundaries like never before. Let’s roll up our sleeves and create magic that’s as one-of-a-kind as the couples we celebrate.

Need help elevating your clients’ dream wedding? Contact us today and we’ll help you get started!

Get the Report:

WeddingPro. (2024). The Knot Real Weddings Vendor Report. Retrieved from https://pros.weddingpro.com/report/the-knot-real-weddings-vendor-report/

Categorised in: Event Design, Event Planning, Luxury Wedding