A recent survey carried out by WeddingDates of over 300 people from the LGBT community has revealed key stats and facts for hotels and venues targeting this burgeoning wedding market. Since March of 2014 when same-sex marriage was legalised in the UK, over 15,000 same-sex couples have wed in England and Wales. With same-sex marriage now legalised in Ireland, hotels and wedding venues across the UK and Ireland will be looking at how to update their marketing to successfully reach a new generation of engaged couples.
Marketing the LGBT Inclusive Wedding
When surveyed on how they would like to see LGBT weddings marketed, survey respondents overwhelmingly opted for inclusivity:
- 71% would like to see LGBT weddings represented in brochures and on websites with inclusive images of same-sex couples;
- 49% prefer to see same-sex weddings referred to as “weddings”, followed by 30% who prefer the term “same sex wedding.”
- When asked about whether they would like to see specific LGBT Wedding Fairs a majority of 70% said no and only 13% were in favour of them.
Top Tips for Marketing LGBT Weddings:
A consistent theme among our survey respondents was an aversion to venues “still sending on information as if we were a man/woman couple.” It’s a key indicator for hotels and venues looking to capture an emerging wedding market:
- Update websites and in brochures to use inclusive language. “The bride and groom” is not inclusive, while terms like “brides and grooms” and “engaged couples” or “wedding couples” are inclusive.
- Emphasise that your venue is able to host a civil ceremony on-site.
- Include a mix of images on your website, brochures and mailers.
Commenting on the survey, Ciara Crossan CEO of WeddingDates said,
“It’s great to find out what the LGBT community actually want to see in wedding venues, packages and general brochures. We are very excited at the prospect of including more diversity in our wedding blogs and features and can’t wait to include the first of the LGBT weddings which we hope will begin before the end of the year.”
