Building websites that connect with Gen Z couples: A guide for wedding vendors
Have you heard?? Generation Z is officially taking over the market share for wedding clientele. These are the folks who were born between 1997-2012… which means the oldest of them are turning 27 this year. Oh how time flies.
Since the Zed clan is gettin’ hitched and ready to hire vendors, your website should be set up to appeal to them and meet their needs. After all, all your marketing efforts ultimately drive back to your website, and it’s the critical first piece in your sales process.
I’ve been doing lots of research as to what Gen Z engaged couples are looking for in their weddings, their vendors, and the hiring process. I’ll share my big takeaways and how it affects your website!
Crafting Memorable Experiences
Gen Z couples want their weddings to be memorable and interactive. They are looking for all sorts of ways to surprise and delight their guests. Boring old wedding favors are out, fun and exciting experiences are in.
This could include live artists and performers, flash mobs, tarot readers, tattoo or piercing stations, interactive food experiences, games for guests, grand entrances and exits, or anything else you can dream up to keep people talking about the wedding for years to come!
It’s also becoming more standard for engaged couples to host a wedding weekend with multiple events surrounding the wedding, whereas full wedding weeks are considered the new next-level all-inclusive experience.
When It Comes To Your Website:
Communicate the importance of creating memorable experiences for your clients’ wedding guests. This should be reflected in the copy and backed up by photos.
In your services, offer something fun and creative for the guests that will make the wedding unforgettable.
Ideally, you want your website design to be an experience in itself. Create a captivating world that your potential clients will want to dive into!
Providing Instant Gratification
Gen Z has been on social media since forever and has been inundated non-stop with bids for their attention. Attention spans are only getting shorter so if a video, ad, or website is not immediately attention-grabbing or providing value; viewers will move on without another thought.
Growing up with social media, Google, and instant customer service chats also means Gen Z-ers are accustomed to on-demand answers to their questions. No one wants to send an email, wait for a response, and then schedule a call just to get basic information.
Lastly, many wedding pros are also reporting a shorter wedding-planning period from their inquirers. This means right now a lot of Gen Z couples are booking their vendors just months out from the wedding date, instead of 1-2 years in advance.
When It Comes To Your Website:
Gatekeeping is considered a big no-no with Gen Z! Provide all the information up-front that clients would need to know before booking (as much as you can without a consult, of course). You can take this quiz to learn how much pricing info you should be sharing.
Get to the point and make it skimmable. Website visitors are moving quickly and don’t want to have to hunt through 20 pages or read 5 paragraphs to learn what they need to know in order to make a decision about reaching out to work with you.
Make your availability and booking requirements known. Do you have a minimum or maximum time limit on when someone can book you? Do you have any openings for the current year? Keep this information up-to-date.
Provide a clickable email address and a short contact form to make it super quick & easy for clients to get in touch.
Embracing Personalization & Unconventionality
My personal favorite trait of Gen Z-ers: They celebrate authenticity and individuality! It’s no longer about fitting in and recreating the same wedding trend you’ve seen on Pinterest a hundred times. Young couples want their wedding to be a true reflection of their story, interests, and cultures. If it’s never been done before, that’s even better!
There is definitely a move away from traditional wedding practices. You may not see as many fathers walking the bride down the aisle, garter tosses are considered weird, and more wedding parties will be wearing a mix of styles rather than a uniform outfit.
Fun themes, bold colors, and unexpected venues are definitely increasing in popularity. In 2022, one-third of all couples incorporated a wedding theme!
One thing Gen Z couples are wanting to honor more is their family’s heritage. They may even want to have a blend of cultures represented in their wedding.
There generally seems to be more of an openness to weekday weddings as well, especially if it’s a meaningful date or simply more convenient for them.
When It Comes To Your Website:
In short: Be real! Don’t be afraid of having a fun personality that’s reflected in your branding. Just make sure it’s authentic to the experience your wedding clients will actually receive. No more using soft neutrals on your website purely because it’s the norm.
Let your audience know the ways in which you can make their wedding day completely personal to them.
Offer customization of your packages so that couples feel like they are getting exactly what they need.
Nurturing Closer Connections
A lot of Gen Z couples are opting for much smaller guest counts, so that they can devote more of their budget to creating unique experiences, as discussed above. Despite this being post-pandemic times; micro weddings, elopements, and destination weddings are still on the rise.
Many are choosing to save money by having a special, intimate ceremony with just the immediate loved ones. (Some are doing away with bridesmaids & groomsmen completely.) It’s becoming more common to then have a large reception/party planned for a separate date.
Gen Z clients are also craving more connection with their vendors. We already talked about how they love to gather ALL the information, and it’s taking more conversations on average to build up trust in whoever they decide to hire.
When It Comes To Your Website:
Highlight your services catering to smaller weddings.
Integrate different touchpoints for your audience to follow you, like social media and a newsletter. Provide consistent value through these channels to warm up leads.
Integrating Technology
This is the generation whose whole lives have taken place in the digital age. They’re tech-savvy, can easily spot a scam, and will avoid sketchy websites like they’re *gasp* skinny jeans… That means you need to make sure your business comes across as professional and legit online.
They’re relying more on apps and online resources throughout the wedding planning process, and are looking for more ways to incorporate tech into their wedding experiences.
Personal wedding websites are a must for the couple. But many are also including QR codes on wedding invites which lead to the website, where their guests can quickly access important information about the big day.
Some Gen Z couples are providing their guests with a virtual attendance option via livestream, and wedding content creators for social media are on the rise as a sought-out vendor.
When It Comes To Your Website:
A sleek and polished website with a smooth user experience used to be a way to stand out and look more high-end. But it’s now the bare minimum for these couples who expect tech-literate vendors. Clean and professional design is a must - no exceptions.
Consider more ways to incorporate technology into your client services, whether that’s in your systems and processes or in the deliverables.
Help couples planning their wedding by including education on your website through blogging, videos, or free downloads.
Offer online methods of communication for your couples such as virtual consultations, chat, voice memos, or asynchronous video messages like Loom, Voxer, or VideoAsk.
Standing in Your Values
More than ever, clients care about who they’re giving their business to, which requires transparency and integrity from companies. Gen Z-ers want to know what a business stands for and whether its practices back up their claims.
Diversity and inclusion are paramount for Gen Z, and many will be looking to hire companies with ethically sourced materials and eco-friendly practices.
These young couples want to align with their vendors on a personal level. They tend to love a brand with a distinct personality and clear values that they feel they can relate to.
When It Comes To Your Website:
Use inclusive language and include diverse representation in your images.
Be clear about how your business is different and the ‘why’ behind your business. Instead of being wishy washy or generic, take a stance.
List not only your values on your website, but also how you put those values into practice.
If you’ve read this and thought, “Oh crap, my website needs an upgrade, stat,” we are here to get you in shipshape! Just hit us up here to ask about our professional design & consulting services.
Sources:
The Knot 2022 Real Weddings Study
6 Things You Won’t See at a Generation Z Wedding
Unmissable Trends in Event Planning: Reshaping the Industry
Instagram Live with Emily Foster Creative and Sarah Chianese
12 Gen-Z Wedding Trends That Are Here to Stay
Planner Panel 2023 Fall from Ideaction Consulting
