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Average Engagement Ring Spending Slips; Overall Wedding Budgets Slightly Higher
Though lovebirds who tied the knot last year spent slightly more on average than those who wed in 2010, the engagement ring was not an area where they were doling out any extra cash, a new survey shows.
According to The Real Weddings Survey, conducted by TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com among couples who wed in 2011, the average wedding budget increased minimally (0.1 percent) between 2010 and 2011, from $26,984 to $27,021.
Engagement ring spending was down 5 percent, from $5,392 to $5,130.
Areas where couples were spending more included the ceremony site (up from $1,393 to $1,599), wedding planner ($1,683 to $1,753), wedding dress ($1,099 to $1,121) and entertainment, with spending on the reception band, DJ, videographer and ceremony musicians all climbing.
The most expensive place to get married still is Manhattan, where couples spend an average of $67,824 on their wedding, the survey showed. The least expensive location to tie the knot is West Virginia, where the average couple spends $14,203.
The average marrying age of a bride and groom in the U.S. in 2011 was 29 and 30, respectively. The most popular month for engagements was December, with 16 percent of proposals taking place then, while September was the most popular month to wed.
Other findings from The Read Weddings Survey include:
- Hawaii has the country's oldest brides at 31, while Utah boasts the youngest at 26.
- Fall weddings were more popular in 2011, partially due to the high demand to get married in September on 9/10/11 and in November on 11/11/11.
- A total of 69 percent of couples now have a wedding website, up from 65 percent in 2010 and 60 percent in 2009. Brides also are using social media more to share wedding details with guests and keep in touch with vendors.
- Nearly three out of five brides reported using their smartphones for wedding planning. Popular uses include taking and sharing wedding-related pictures (58 percent), looking up vendor contact information (47 percent), accessing wedding planning websites (33 percent) and managing gift registries (32 percent).
The 2011 Real Wedding Survey included responses from about 18,000 couples who got married last year. Survey-takers were recruited through TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com membership, and all were 18 or older.
(Source: National Jeweler, 03/29/12)
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Webinar Tomorrow: Deals, Hyperlocal and Integrated Campaigns
Deals are a big part of broadcasters' opportunities, and this webinar will give you new ideas for making money with deals -- whether you are currently in the deal business or just getting started.
Join RAB's John Potter and guest presenter Jennifer Norris, Digital Sales Manager at Clear Channel's leading deals market, for tips on such considerations as identifying the best deals categories, packaging deals with your campaigns, and creating effective proposals.
This webinar will be offered on Thursday at 10 AM Central. For more information, click here.
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RAB to Offer Special Marketing Sessions at NAB Show
In conjunction with the upcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 14-19, the Radio Advertising Bureau will present five revenue-oriented sales and marketing workshops.
The first of these information-filled sessions, Return On Relationship (ROR) is the New Measure of Success, is scheduled for Monday, April 16, from 1:00-2:15 PM in Room N239/241. This presentation will focus on ways to enhance listener relationships and strengthen radio's appeal to advertisers, through such avenues as social media.
For more information on the NAB Show, the world's largest electronic media event, follow this link.
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