NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Knot, the
#1 digital wedding brand, today announced that August 18, 2018, is the most popular wedding day
of the year—with 28,633 couples getting hitched this Saturday. The
majority of couples getting married use The Knot each year to help
them plan their weddings—from finding inspiration and local
vendors, to creating and managing all guest and wedding registry
experiences—and the nearly 30,000 couples hosting their wedding
this weekend are no exception.
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With 28,633 weddings happening on August
18, 2018 and an average of 136 guests per
wedding,1 an estimated 3.9 million guests will be
attending weddings on the most popular wedding day of the year.
Each guest is estimated to spend an average of $261 on the wedding day, including the gift,
attire and accessories,2 which in total will
amount to over an estimated $1
billion spent by guests attending weddings on August 18, 2018. Nearly half of the 3.9 million
guests (approximately 1.3 million) will buy a gift for the couples
getting married on this day from their wedding
registries.2
The top five most popular registry items for couples getting
married on August 18, 2018 include
the KitchenAid stand mixer, Ninja blender, Dyson vacuum, iRobot
Roomba, and an air fryer, while some of the most unique items these
couples registered for include a sushi rolling kit, Wi-Fi pet
camera, Star Wars "Death Star" waffle maker and the What Do
You Meme? card game.3
"As the leader in wedding planning, approximately three quarters
of all couples getting married use The Knot to help plan their
weddings. Just as wedding planning has gone digital, guests
are also managing their guest duties online—consulting the couple's
wedding website for all the wedding details, as well as purchasing
gifts for the couple through their online registries," said
Kristen Maxwell Cooper, The Knot
editor in chief. "We're proud to have helped the nearly 30,000
couples getting married this Saturday plan personalized weddings
that reflect them and their love, while also giving the 3.9 million
guests attending those weddings a truly memorable experience."
Leading up to the most popular wedding day of the year, The Knot
is also releasing the results of The Knot 2018 Guest Study,
revealing everything from guest spend per wedding to most popular
gifts.
Top Trends From The Knot 2018 Wedding Guest Study
GUESTS SPEND NEARLY $1,000 PER
WEDDING AND ATTEND MORE CELEBRATIONS THAN JUST THE CEREMONY &
RECEPTION. According to the study, guests that are traveling
for a wedding spend an average of $901 per wedding, including costs for travel,
accommodations, wedding gifts, attire and accessories, while
members of the wedding party spend an average of $928. Guests love weddings, with 70% reporting
they enjoyed the last wedding they attended, if it was well
planned. And two in three wedding guests (65%) are already looking
forward to the next wedding they attend, reporting they would be
sad if they were never invited to another wedding. Additionally, no
longer are bachelor and bachelorette parties exclusively for the
couple and their wedding party members: One in five wedding guests
(22%) outside the wedding party attend bachelor and bachelorette
parties. Taking part in the bachelor and bachelorette parties can
add up to an expensive honor, as partygoers spend an average of
$537 on bachelorette and bachelor
parties, inclusive of the costs of travel, accommodations and
gifts. Wedding guests who are not members of the wedding party also
attend events like the bridal shower (24%), rehearsal dinner (20%)
and engagement party (19%).
WEDDINGS TURN TO TECH TO STREAMLINE THE GUEST EXPERIENCE.
From efficiently communicating with the couple leading up to the
wedding day, to sending in their RSVP and gathering all the
essential details they need to arrive on time and in style, wedding
guests are largely relying on technology to make their guest
experience easier. If given the opportunity to RSVP by postal mail
or online, half of guests prefer to respond online. For the 50% of
guests who RSVP online, The Knot has made it simple to RSVP
directly on a couple's wedding website. Of couples that shared
their wedding details via a personalized wedding website, more than
half of guests (56%) visit the couple's site to get the
information. Other popular actions taken on couples' wedding
websites by guests include looking at and sharing photos of the
couple (41%), reading the couple's love story (39%), making a gift
purchase from a couple's registry (32%), seeking accommodation
information (31%), and finding insight on what to wear (28%).
COUPLES ARE REGISTERING FOR WHAT THEY REALLY WANT. From
stand mixers and linens, to funds for a puppy or home improvement
project, couples aren't holding back on asking for what they really
want. Using The Knot Registry, couples can register for retail
items, cash funds, charities and literally anything online that's
shoppable using The Knot Universal Registry tool. Thirty-four
percent of guests purchase a gift off the couple's registry, 29%
gift cash or check in a wedding card or envelope and 10% give gift
cards. On average, members of the wedding party spend $107 on the wedding gift, while wedding guests
spend an average of $88 on their gift
for the newlyweds.
GUESTS CONSIDER MANY FACTORS WHEN THINKING ABOUT THEIR
RSVP. The average American attends two weddings each year, and
14% report attending four or more weddings per year, on average.
When deciding to accept an invite to a wedding, guests consider
their relationship to the couple as the most important factor
(71%). Other considerations include the date of the wedding (50%),
whether or not their children were also invited (42%), wedding
location (41%), cost of travel (40%), cost of accommodations (36%)
and whether or not they were given a plus one (34%). The majority
(83%) of all wedding guests are invited to a wedding with a plus
one option. Three in five (61%) wedding guests bring a plus one to
the wedding ceremony and reception.
GETTING TO THE CELEBRATION—HOW GUESTS NAVIGATE WEDDING TRAVEL
AND ACCOMMODATIONS. One in three wedding guests consider the
costs of travel (40%) and accommodations (36%) before RSVPing to a
wedding. On average, one in three (41%) members of the wedding
party book accommodations for the celebration, spending
$212. Members of the wedding party
are also booking travel (15%) to get to the wedding ceremony and
reception, spending an average of $308. Among the wedding guests not in the wedding
party, 28% book accommodations and 14% book travel for weddings,
spending an average of $234 and
$303, respectively.
GUESTS SEEK GUIDANCE ON GIFTING ETIQUETTE. Over one
quarter (27%) of all wedding guests report needing help figuring
out gifting etiquette regarding how much to spend on gifts for each
wedding they're attending. On average, members of the wedding party
spend $295, while other wedding
guests spend $289 in total on wedding
gifts for the bachelor and bachelorette parties, wedding shower and
wedding day itself. When deciding how to gift the couple for their
wedding day celebration, the majority of all guests (64%) prefer to
give an individual gift rather than participate in group gifting.
When thinking about what to gift, the top consideration for guests
is finding a gift that fits within their budget (79%). Three in
four (78%) wedding guests find it important to give a gift that's
thoughtful, and nearly half (42%) report seeking gifts from
companies that support larger causes close to their hearts.
GUESTS DECODE THE DRESS CODE. On average, wedding guests
spend $98 on their wedding day attire
and an additional $53 on accessories,
such as shoes, ties and handbags. Members of the wedding party
spend, on average, 63% more than other wedding guests on their
attire, $160 per wedding. Wedding
party members also spend more on accessories, averaging a spend of
$64. Through The Knot and Rent the
Runway, couples can help their guests save money on their wedding
day fashion by offering them a 20% discount code for a rental from
Rent the Runway. Plus, in celebration of the most popular day to
get married on August 18, 18 lucky
brides who create a wedding website on The Knot from August
13—August 18 will be entered to win a free rental from Rent the
Runway. See here for full sweepstakes rules.
1: Source: The Knot 2017 Real Weddings
Study
2: Source: The Knot 2018 Wedding Guest
Study
3: Source: The Knot Registry data
About The Knot
The Knot is the nation's leading
multiplatform wedding resource offering a seamless, all-in-one
planning experience—from finding inspiration and local vendors to
creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and
more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in
the US through the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com and #1
iOS and Android mobile app The Knot Wedding Planner, The Knot
national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot book series.
Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million
couples to plan a wedding that's uniquely them. The Knot is the
flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO), which helps couples
navigate and enjoy life's biggest moments—from getting married to
moving in together and having a baby. Visit The Knot online at
TheKnot.com and follow on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot and
@TheKnot on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain
projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future
events or our future financial performance. These statements are
only predictions and reflect our current beliefs and expectations.
Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained
in the projections or forward-looking statements. It is routine for
internal projections and expectations to change, and therefore it
should be clearly understood that the internal projections and
beliefs upon which we base our expectations may change. Although
these expectations may change, we will not necessarily inform you
if they do or update this release. Please refer to documents we
file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission
for a discussion of the risks and other factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking
statements contained herein. Forward-looking statements in this
release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions contained
in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
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SOURCE The Knot