Three Things We Learned from the Knot About the State of Weddings Today

April 12, 2016

By Laura Brauer

The Knot knows a thing or two about weddings. Aside from serving as a central clearing house for all things wedding related, they’ve recently published results from a massive survey of U.S. brides and grooms.

The data pool is sizable–over 18,000 brides and grooms were polled in total–and there are a few valuable nuggets in there for wedding photographers and filmmakers. Here are some of the key findings.

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People are spending more

The average wedding cost has increased by more than $5,500 in the past five years with couples spending $32,641 in 2015. People are spending more across the board, with the average price of photography up modestly from $2,556 in 2014 to $2,618 in 2015. Videographers have seen a similarly modest increase, with couples spending $1,824 on filmmaking services in 2015 vs. $1,794 in 2014.

Optimize your website for mobile browsers

One of the biggest revelations from the study, says the Knot, is that 89 percent of couples report using their smartphone to help plan their wedding.  Meanwhile, only about 73 percent of the general population goes online using a mobile device (according to comScore). This stands to reason, given that a large number of would-be brides and grooms are young smartphone owners. But the huge number underscores the vital importance of having a website that’s optimized for a mobile browser.

People want professional help

The proliferation of smartphones hasn’t diminished the role and value of professional photographers and videographers (even if it sometimes feels that way). Nine out of 10 couples polled said they hired a pro photographer and one third tapped the services of a pro videographer. Wedding planners are also becoming an integral part of the wedding planning process, according to the Knot survey, with 26 percent of couples hiring a planning professional in 2015 (up from 19 percent in 2010).

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