Weddings are booming right now. Many couples deferred their weddings during the pandemic, and now they’re tying the knot.
Big retailers are already making plans to capture their share of the business. Anthropologie has doubled its bridal inventory, and Macy’s has increased its wedding stock, too. But if you sell on FBA you stand a good chance of grabbing some of the wedding dollars for your business.
Happy couples are demanding a different experience. They want more intimacy and a more personalized, individual event. And after two years of holding back, they want their weddings to be celebratory, fashionista, exuberant; going over the top, Bridgerton-style. Out of the comfort sweatpants of pandemic lockdown, and into major fantasy mode.
But costs are rising, too. So they’re looking to get more for less. And that’s where Amazon comes in. You can get a wedding dress or bridesmaid dress on Amazon for a tenth of the price most boutiques charge, for instance. Some couples buy their own table settings for the reception, and their own decorations, which they can use at home afterwards.
Plus, some couples find the whole boutique and wedding planner experience a bit off-putting. They’d rather put everything together for themselves, and again, Amazon offers them a more relaxed shopping experience.
What sort of products do well on Amazon? Besides the obvious (bridal gowns, for instance), here are a few other suggestions:
• Signage – for instance customized neon signs
• place settings
• name cards and other wedding stationery
• candles, tea lights, twinkle light curtains, fairy lights
• artificial flowers: faux peonies, silk roses, faux hydrangea, both for place settings and for bouquets or buttonholes
• white or lace or sequined table runners and table skirts or overlays
• tiny bags for wedding favors
Amazon has even set up a weddings area on Amazon Handmade, offering couples the chance to buy artisan made products for their wedding ceremony, and runs a wedding registry service. Clearly, Amazon is interested in helping its vendors access this marketplace.
But there are a few aspects to wedding related sales that you’ll need to bear in mind. First of all, if you sell broader products like neon signs or lace table settings, you’ll need to target wedding keywords as well as your regular keywords. Basically, you’ll be setting up a separate marketing program for weddings business.
You might also consider bundling existing product as a wedding special. For instance, a stationery supplier could include different types of stationery in white and silver as a wedding bundle, or you could have a wedding multi-pack of matching bouquets and buttonholes for bridesmaids and groomsmen.
Secondly, if you sell generators, fans, FFP3 masks, or dog chews, you may be able to get away without good lifestyle photography. If you sell wedding supplies, you can’t. Great lifestyle photos of your product in use at a wedding are an absolute must, even though they will of course be posed with models. Soft focus, lovely lighting, and smiles are required!
And thirdly, you can’t afford to mess up supply issues. If I order a camera on Amazon and it turns up a day late, it’s probably not a major issue. If wedding supplies turn up late, you ruined someone’s wedding day. You absolutely need to have adequate inventory.
You should also think about the pink dollar. A lot of wedding supplies are “Mr and Mrs” themed all the way through. But remember an increasing number of same-sex couples are now getting married, and if your product is the one that has a photo with two blissful brides or two happy bridegrooms, they’ll feel happy buying it.
And don’t forget, if you have a special wedding package, to include a little card of congratulations inside it!