- The average couple in the United States will spend more than $39,000 on their wedding.
- Wedding websites and applications assist in the planning process by providing different niche services.
- Starting a wedding business has the potential for high profitability depending on the current market conditions and competition in service area.
Weddings bring families and friends together to celebrate a lifetime of love and happiness. There's also, of course, a lot of planning that goes into the wedding activities and events.
Many people plan their weddings long before they have a potential life partner, researching venues and browsing dresses on Pinterest. Because so much thought and time goes into weddings, most couples hire companies to assist their endeavors. Entrepreneurs in this thriving industry often feel that helping engaged couples plan their special day is a highly rewarding experience.
Here are some unique businesses that were started to help couples make their pre- and post-wedding plans as stress-free as possible.
1. MissNowMrs.com
Though not all couples choose to have one or both spouses change their last name after marriage, those that do often find the legal process intimidating. MissNowMrs.com simplifies the cumbersome process by streamlining all of the paperwork you need in one place for a flat fee.
Newlyweds looking to make the switch answer some questions about their current and married names and various accounts they hold. Then, these answers are used to complete the appropriate forms. Proofread, print, sign and file, and your legal name change is well underway.
2. Love Notery
Kristen Rocco, founder of Love Notery, has always been a communicator. Her passion for storytelling led to a fruitful public relations career (even working with Gary Sinise, better known as Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump).
Like any good romance, she took a leap of faith with Love Notery to tell great love stories. Rocco's journalistic skills help her craft a customized "love story" through in-depth interviews with couples. The stories are then printed out as an heirloom keepsake.
3. The Knot
This app is a multilayered wedding tool, with checklists for the engaged couple leading up to the wedding, vendor lists, ways to stay on budget and tools to create a wedding site and registry.
The Knot, which also published a print bridal magazine, even has answers to various social and etiquette questions answered by experts. In addition, the app provides a countdown to the day, so nearly newlyweds can stay excited and organized.
4. WedPics
The quality of smartphone pictures has greatly improved, but collecting guests' wedding photos, though worthwhile, can be a pain. WedPics is a free app that aggregates wedding photos captured by guests.
Users can keep photos organized with the Albums feature, which is great for capturing photos of all wedding events, such as the engagement party, wedding shower, rehearsal dinner, reception, ceremony and more.
5. Zola
Registering for wedding items often means signing up with multiple brands to create the best registry. Zola consolidates the process by allowing couples to register for a variety of brands, curated experiences and cash funds on a single page, according to the site.
Zola goes a step further by giving you autonomy with shipping: Each time you receive a gift, the site notifies you to ship now or later, or in the case of cash gifts, transfer to your bank or convert to a Zola store credit.
6. Bella Figura
Wedding invitations are a major detail of every wedding. Brides (and grooms) likely want to use sophisticated designs and unique stationery to send to their guests. Bella Figura creates vintage wedding invitations that cater to their customers' preferences – couples can choose their color scheme, letterpress design as well other customizations to make their invites personal and intimate. Each invitation is envisioned to unfold the buyer's love story.
7. Carats & Cake
Have you ever attended a wedding and wondered about the vendors behind the special day? Instead of guessing who provided the bouquets for a wedding, Carats & Cake showcases real weddings and provides vendor information for the event. While planning a wedding, you’ll get instant access to all featured vendor’s contact information, portfolios, reviews, and service areas.
Carats & Cake was launched in 2013 as a platform for wedding businesses to reach more clients by sharing their work online.
Tips on starting a wedding business
Weddings are big business. To get married, the average couple will spend upwards of $39,000, according to the Knot. There are numerous wedding business ideas you can profit on while helping a couple plan their big day. Traditional wedding vendors include florists, jewelers, photographers, DJs and caterers.
Wedding planning is also the perfect profession for those who enjoy any type of party planning. Getting certified as a wedding planner is as easy as completing an online course. Wedding planners make an average of $44,000 annually, but have the potential to make upwards of $120,000. Profitability of any wedding business depends largely on service area. Vendors located in a metropolitan area have significantly higher average service rates than vendors in rural locations.
Keep in mind there are profitable wedding business ideas besides the basics. Potential wedding business ideas include a wedding calligrapher, ice sculptor, bridal makeup artist, tent and chair rental provider, personalized favor designer, photo booth rental company or honeymoon planner. Website and software developers can also break into the wedding business by designing applications and websites that assist couples with planning their event.
Before starting any wedding business, research the competition in your area. Find out how much they charge for their services and if they market to a niche in the wedding industry. Niche companies do the best in the wedding industry since competition is less fierce. Profitability of your wedding business can also be impacted by the season. Although couples do marry throughout the year, May through September are the most popular months for weddings.