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Thumbtack Releases First Annual Wedding Trends Report
3 February 2016
The online referral service Thumbtack has released the first of what it plans to make an annual wedding trends report. The company said it receives over 320,000 wedding requests each year.
"This year we're seeing couples investing up to 20 percent more to create a memorable, classic affair," said Ashley Brasier, Thumbtack wedding director. "The reception is the focus of this extra spending, with couples turning away from themed weddings and instead focusing on finer touches like formal plated dinners, lasercut place settings and bold floral choices."
NATIONAL AVERAGES
Some interesting national averages gleaned from the report include:
- The average cost nationally for a wedding with 98 guests? $12,189.
- Average marrying age: 33
- Couples who own a home: 45 percent
- Couples employed full time: 75 percent
PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED
Among the findings of some interest to photographers:
- Couples are spending more on engagement photography, budgeting $250. Eight-five percent prefer outdoor photos including photos taken at theme parks.
- Forty percent of couples expect to spend at least $1,000 for a wedding photographer. Candid leads the style choices at 83 percent with Traditional (64 percent), Artistic (47 percent), Natural/Environmental (39 percent) and High Fashion (11 percent) following.
- Photo booth will continue to be popular with enclosed booths preferred by 63 percent and camera/backdrop arrangements by 32 percent. Thirty-eight percent want both print and digital copies, 40 percent prints only and 3 percent digital only. Ninety-seven percent want physical prints available for their guests.
- More couples are requesting "cinematic wedding videos" for 2016, with 97 percent expecting that to cover the ceremony, 91 percent the reception and just 31 percent getting ready for the big event.
- Thirty-five percent want three to six hours of video while 13 percent will settle for less than that and 50 percent want even more.
- Videographers are seeing an eight percent uptick in requests for highlight videos, which incorporate personalized messages from guests and are created for social sharing.
- More and more brides are eschewing the "safe" natural and romantic beauty look: there's been a 75 percent increase in brides requesting glam hair and makeup, with touches like highlights and contouring and bold lip colors.
- The average couple will spend about $2,000 more on average but much of that goes to a more upscale dinner experience.
- Cakes are also getting taller than ever, with a 55 percent increase in couples requesting a three-layer cake this year compared to last year.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information see the news release below or view the full report online.
Thumbtack Study Predicts's Biggest Wedding Trends
The largest survey of U.S. couples to be married in finds that couples will spend 20 percent more on wedding services this year or $12,189 on average nationwide. Weddings will feature formal and intimate dinners, subtler personalizations and interactive mementos like social-media friendly cinematic highlight videos.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Thumbtack, an online service that connects consumers with skilled professionals, has released the results of its first annual Thumbtack Wedding Trends Report. Each year, Thumbtack receives more than 320,000 wedding requests. For this report, we took a look at wedding requests placed for weddings, uncovering the upcoming trends and spending habits of real couples in America.
The study includes statistics on upcoming wedding trends and unveils average pricing for wedding services both nationally and regionally. Full results are available at https://www.thumbtack.com/weddings/#weddingsreport.
"This year we're seeing couples investing up to 20 percent more to create a memorable, classic affair," said Ashley Brasier, Wedding Director for Thumbtack. "The reception is the focus of this extra spending, with couples turning away from themed weddings and instead focusing on finer touches like formal plated dinners, lasercut place settings and bold floral choices."
Every year, hundreds of thousands of couples come to Thumbtack looking for wedding professionals across nearly 50 categories of service -- from wedding planners and photographers to caterers, live bands, florists, hairstylists and makeup artists. Couples submit requests sharing details like the size of their guest list, their style preferences and their geographic location, so Thumbtack can match them with the best service providers for their needs.
As a result, Thumbtack's study reveals a unique look ahead on what will trend at weddings to come this year -- not just what happened at weddings last year.
2016's Top Wedding Trends
The new theme is no theme: Couples are increasingly focusing on small details -- not big themes -- to set their weddings apart.
- Highlight videos are hot -- Videographers are seeing an eight percent uptick in requests for highlight videos, which incorporate personalized messages from guests and are created for social sharing.
- Laser-cut details are everywhere -- Featured on invitations, place-cards and even place mats, laser-cutting will be especially popular.
- Cupcakes aren't going anywhere -- 10 percent more couples will feature cupcakes for dessert in, compared to 2015, showing that this personalized touch has staying power.
2016 couples are upping the ante: This year's couples are spending noticeably more on wedding essentials compared to 2015.
- 20 percent increase in spending -- The average couple will spend about $2,000 more on average, with much of that going to a more upscale dinner experience.
- Formal receptions on the rise -- For weddings, there's been a 26 percent increase in couples requesting servers for formal dinner receptions and a 32 percent increase in couples requesting plated meals.
- Traditional tiers -- Cakes are also getting taller than ever, with a 55 percent increase in couples requesting a three-layer cake this year compared to last year.
Big, bold visuals have arrived: From wedding theme colors to bridal beauty looks, expect weddings to feature big visuals.
- Glam beauty -- More and more brides are eschewing the "safe" natural and romantic beauty look: there's been a 75 percent increase in brides requesting glam hair and makeup, with touches like highlights and contouring and bold lip colors.
- Beyond natural -- Brides plan to go beyond "born with it" in. The data shows a 70 percent increase in requests for false eyelashes and airbrushing. There's been a 15 percent increase in brides planning to wear a classic veil.
- Bright palettes -- Popular colors this year include bursts of reds and bright blues, along with pops of yellow as an accent and gray neutrals to hold it all together. Metallic accents stay popular this year, emphasizing the glam factor.
The Real Cost of Getting Married
Based on average price quoted for wedding essentials for Thumbtack weddings in
National Averages -- Costs and Customer Profile
- $12,189: The amount the average American couple will spend on essential wedding services in, excluding the venue, dress and rings, for a wedding with 98 guests on average.
- 33: Average marrying age of Thumbtack couple
- 75 percent: Thumbtack couples who are employed full-time
- 5 percent: Thumbtack couples who are students
- 45 percent: Thumbtack couples who are homeowners
Top 5 Most Expensive States to Get Married
- Connecticut: $17,211
- New York: $16,305
- District of Columbia: $15,835
- Rhode Island: $15,233
- Pennsylvania: $14,722
Top 5 Least Expensive States to Get Married
- Missouri: $9,031
- Nevada: $9,095
- Arizona: $9,593
- Kentucky: $9,712
- Utah: $9,804
Top 25 Most Expensive Metro Areas to Get Married (Wedding Essentials)
- New York, NY: $16,077
- Philadelphia, PA: $15,434
- Pittsburgh, PA: $14,287
- Baltimore, MD: $14,261
- Providence, RI: $13,990
- San Francisco, CA: $13,734
- San Jose, CA: $13,418
- Cleveland, OH: $13,416
- Washington, D.C.-Northern VA: $13,303
- Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: $13,173
- New Orleans, LA: $13,089
- Boston, MA:- $13,028
- Miami, FL: $12,923
- Los Angeles, CA: $12,709
- Chicago, IL: $12,449
- Milwaukee, WI: $12,197
- Seattle, WA: $12,149
- Detroit, MI: $11,819
- Memphis, TN: $11,805
- Portland, OR: $11,714
- Columbus, OH: $11,692
- Austin, TX: $11,519
- Rochester, NY: $11,472
- Charleston, SC: $11,448
- Sacramento, CA: $11,349
Regional Differences
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic affairs tend to be more expensive: This higher cost is most often driven by formal dinners and a large number of guests. In New York, 33 percent of couples request plated dinners. In Washington, D.C., 48 percent of couples request hors d'oeuvres.
Midwestern states throw the biggest weddings: Weddings are the biggest in Midwestern states like Minnesota and Wisconsin, where over 60 percent of couples welcome 100+ guests. The smallest weddings are in destination wedding locations like Hawaii, where 43 percent of couples welcome fewer than 20 guests.
BBQ and Mexican catering vs. Italian and American cuisine: Italian and American food are crowd pleasers at weddings across the country. In fact, there are only two states that would prefer another type of cuisine at weddings -- both Kentucky and South Carolina prefer BBQ. Unsurprisingly, Mexican is popular throughout the Southwest, with 43 percent of couples in New Mexico requesting Mexican food.
Pop music reigns at the reception, but country's close behind: Wedding guests across the majority of the United States (46 states) prefer pop music, but country is a close second choice in several states, including Texas.
Vermont braids and Southern locks: Brides across the country love a timeless romantic look. Brides in Vermont prefer to accent their look with braids, while brides in most other locales prefer a half-up / half-down look. Long curly hair is especially popular in Southern states like Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Methodology
Each year, Thumbtack receives more than 320,000 requests for wedding services. The Thumbtack Wedding Trends report captures data gathered from requests placed on Thumbtack by couples to be married in. Quantitative trends were gathered from answers to questions Thumbtack asks couples to match them with the best service provider. Qualitative trends were gathered from customer and vendor interviews. Pricing data is based on thousands of price quotes provided by vendors to our customers.