- The average couple in the United States will spend more than $34,000 on their engagement and wedding.
- Wedding websites and applications assist in the planning process by providing different niche services.
- These wedding businesses offer ideas for entrepreneurs looking to launch marriage-themed businesses of their own.
- This article is for entrepreneurs looking to get involved in the wedding space, as well as people looking for services and products to support their wedding.
Weddings bring families and friends together to celebrate a lifetime of love and happiness. They also require a lot of planning. Because so much thought and time goes into weddings, most couples hire companies to assist in their endeavors or provide specialized products to make their big day unforgettable.
Entrepreneurs in this space often feel that helping engaged couples plan their wedding is a highly rewarding experience – and there’s big money to be made doing it. These unique wedding companies offer inspiration to other entrepreneurs looking to get involved in the business of matrimony.
7 businesses that help couples plan their weddings
Whether they focus on the small details or the big picture, below are seven businesses that help couples plan their dream weddings.
1. MissNowMrs
Though not all couples choose to have one or both spouses change their last names after marriage, those who do often find the legal process intimidating. MissNowMrs 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 a few questions about their current names, their married names and the various accounts they hold. Their answers are used to complete the appropriate forms automatically. Proofread, print, sign and file, and your legal name change will be 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 working with clients like Gary Sinise, better known as Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump. Like any good romantic, 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 conducting in-depth interviews with couples. The stories are then printed out into custom heirloom keepsakes.
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 publishes a print bridal magazine, even provides expert answers to various social and etiquette questions. In addition, the app provides a countdown to the day, so nearly newlyweds can stay excited and organized.
4. Mixbook
Creating wedding invitations no longer has to be a time-consuming process. Mixbook is a photo design tool that allows users to design custom guest books, invitations, cards and photo prints. Choose from ready-made graphics to style your designs, or upload your own for a more personal touch. Users can receive their printouts in real foil to add a sense of luxury to their cards and invitations. After the wedding bells have rung, newlyweds can remember their special moment with photo books and home decor that features pictures from their big day.
5. Zola
Registering for wedding items often means signing up with multiple brands to create the best registry with all of the couple’s desired items. Zola consolidates the process by allowing couples to register for a variety of brands, curated experiences and cash funds on a single page. Zola goes a step further by giving you autonomy with shipping: Each time you receive a gift, the site notifies you to ship the item now or at a later date. Or, in the case of cash gifts, you can either transfer them to your bank or convert to a Zola store credit.
6. Bella Figura
Invitations are a major detail of every wedding. Brides and grooms often want to use sophisticated designs and unique stationery to send their guests memorable invites. Bella Figura creates vintage wedding invitations that cater to their customers’ preferences. Couples can choose their color scheme, letterpress design and other customizations to make their invites personal and intimate. Each invitation is envisioned with the buyer’s love story in mind.
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. If you’re planning a wedding, you’ll get instant access to all featured vendors’ websites and portfolios. Carats & Cake was launched in 2013 as a platform for wedding businesses to reach more clients by sharing their work online.
There are many different types of businesses that help couples plan their wedding. These include invitation designing tools, wedding registries and custom heirloom keepsakes.
Tips on starting a wedding business
Weddings are big business. To get married, the average couple will spend upward of $34,000, according to the Knot. There are numerous wedding business ideas you can profit from while helping a couple plan their big day. If you’re interested in helping couples make their dream weddings become a reality, below are some tips to help you get started.
Choose a type of business.
Wedding planning is the perfect profession for people who enjoy party planning. Traditional wedding vendors include florists, jewelers, photographers, DJs and caterers.
Getting certified as a wedding planner is as easy as completing an online course. Wedding planners make an average of $38,000 annually, but have the potential to make upward of $120,000 if they’re successful. The profitability of any wedding business depends largely on the service area and clientele. Vendors located in metropolitan areas have significantly higher average service rates than vendors in rural locations, for example.
On average, wedding planners make $38,000 annually, but some make up to $120,000 per year.
Consider other vendor opportunities.
There are other profitable wedding business ideas besides the basics. Consider the following creative ideas as a source of inspiration for your own wedding-based business:
- Wedding calligrapher
- Ice sculptor
- Bridal makeup artist
- Tent and chair rental provider
- Personalized favor designer
- Photo booth rental company
- Honeymoon planner
Also think about skills that might not be directly related to weddings, but could still translate well into the space. For example, website developers could break into the wedding business by designing applications and websites that assist couples with planning their event.
Research your competition.
Before starting any wedding business, research the competition in your area. Find out how much they charge for their services and whether or not they market to a niche in the wedding industry. Niche companies do well in the wedding industry, since competition is less fierce. The 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.
Big days for couples mean big business for vendors
Couples can work with several businesses dedicated to helping them plan and execute their big days. For people interested in working behind the scenes, there are many profitable opportunities available in bringing fairytale visions to life. With proper planning, wedding dreams can become realities, and business ideas can become successful ventures.