Wedding season is just around the corner. Happy couples are putting together the finishing touches for spring weddings, while brides and grooms getting married in summer and fall are making more central arrangements. But what does any of this mean for you?
The time is now to put your products and services out into the world of weddings. By presenting your offerings in a love and marriage context, you’re opening up your business to a whole new clientele that are making meaningful buying decisions right now.
Since lavender is more popular in weddings every year, we’ll use it here as a prime example of how to incorporate a quality product into weddings. Consider your own products as well as how you can use lavender to appeal to brides and grooms this season.
So, with your own business and brand in mind, enjoy our brief guide to wedding season.
1. Understand your (wedding) market and what you can offer
Aligning your market and your offerings is a key part of doing business. The same is true when you are crafting a specific marketing campaign (which is exactly what you’re doing by putting your products and services in the context of love).
What kind of space are you working with — a seasonal farm that’s open to visitors? a boutique retail shop that welcomes guests year-round? an online presence? an online store? Consider what it is you have to offer and how these might apply to weddings. By getting clear on what you have, you’ll have an easier time deciding how to offer it.
Example: Sage Creations Organic Farm offers dried lavender products year-round online, and fresh organic lavender bundles June through September. During spring and summer, we welcome guests at our farm, and we can ship all of our products — fresh lavender included — nationwide.
2. Attend a bridal show
With enough preparation, you can showcase your offerings in a bridal expo. But a great start would be to attend one. In doing so, you’ll gain insights into current wedding trends, learn about prospective customers and gather ideas about how to market your products and services to brides, grooms and wedding planners.
Grand Junction: The Magic 93.1 Wedding Expo takes place in Grand Junction every year. Admission is only $5, and you can find a host of vendors (including us!) and brides-to-be to talk to.
3. Know the trends
Just like fashion, wedding themes, décor and other trends go in and out of style. Here are a few wedding fashions that are in this year, according to Bridal Guide and Condé Nast:
Décor
- Color, especially blush rose pink, blue-greys, charcoal and other neutral colors: “Color is making a comeback, versus all-white weddings. We’re seeing less floral and more props as well as hanging centerpieces and more lighting patterns in abundance.”
- Vintage glamour (with a twist): “Picture an industrial warehouse decked out with ornate, over-the-top centerpieces and set aglow with strands of twinkling lights and candles. You get the picture: a whimsical mash-up of old and new.”
Flowers
- Garden-inspired florals: “With florals, we’re going to keep seeing garlands, as well as organic bouquets and centerpieces, all of which have had tremendous staying power among brides.”
- Hint: Incorporate fresh lavender into your bouquets from June through September. Or, use dried lavender mixed in with fresh flowers.
- Big blooms: “Peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, dahlias and other “soft-petal” blooms are the top-requested flowers from coast to coast.”
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Colors trending in 2017: Peach, burgundy, navy, coral, lilac and lavender, green, cream and gold.
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At Sage Creations Organic Farm, we are looking ahead as we plant our seedlings, choosing a variety of colors and blooms to compliment any event. Flowers we will have in season at the farm are available in both fresh and dried form.
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Did you know that lavender comes in shades of white, rose and blue?
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Food
- Dynamic Desserts: “There will always be a place for the traditional wedding cake but more couples are embracing alternatives such as doughnuts, cookies and even cheese.”
- Lavender is on the menu! Top a wedding cake with lavender cream frosting, use edible flowers to decorate plates and cakes, or serve up lavender-inspired alcohol drinks.
- Get inspired by delectable lavender recipes like these:
- Custom menus: “One of the best ways couples can share their story with guests is through food… Guests are still getting their beef, fish and vegetarian options, ‘but with a twist.'”
- Local specialties: “With more couples infusing pride of location in their hometown celebrations, local flavors are taking the spotlight. ‘It’s an extension of the farm-to-table trend that popped up a few years ago, but even more fun for the guests.’”
- On our farm, we offer delicious organic tomatoes, including rare and popular varieties, to our guests and wholesale customers.
- Peach and Feta Salad with Lavender Dressing
- Pairings: “Wine-and-cheese pairings have become a familiar site at cocktail receptions, but the idea of matching different foods with different drinks is being carried over to other types of beverages and appetizers. Some duets to consider: wine and pasta, cake and craft beer… mimosas and pastries.”
- Try guacamole with Lavender Margaritas
4. Remember the versatility of lavender
As a wedding favorite, lavender is both trendy and timeless. It’s also incredibly versatile. Here are a few ways you can incorporate lavender into your offerings:
- A lavender bud mix for tossing
- Wedding guests have traditionally thrown rice as newlyweds leave their ceremony together, but we now know that this can be harmful to the birds who come along later on and try to eat the grains of rice. Enter: dried lavender buds. Create your own tossing mixture of lavender buds and other flowers and herbs, or simply get creative with different kinds of mini boxes or bags to hold the buds. There are so many stylistic possibilities here, and guests will love tossing sweet-smelling organic flowers in celebration.
- Gifts for guests
- Brides and grooms often give gifts to their guests, which usually means hundreds of small, quality gifts, individually packaged. There are many ways you can use dried lavender buds and essential oils to create beautiful and meaningful gifts, like these ones.
- Keep them small, easy to transport and cost-effective. Also keep in mind the importance of packaging and customization. Many brides and grooms will leave the gifts at each table setting or on display in a central location, so they’ll want them to look as beautiful as the rest of their wedding.
- Try offering a few different options, promoting examples in your store or online. Then you can speak with your customers about customizing their gifts.
- Wreaths and bouquets
- Every wedding has flowers. But there are so many ways to incorporate fresh and dried flowers into a wedding theme. Get creative, and consider that some brides may want to use dried flowers, which they can enjoy well beyond their wedding night.
5. Reach out
No matter what you do to be a part of wedding season, it’s important that your customers and prospective customers know you’re doing it. Share your plans with your email list and those visiting your store. Offer complimentary consultations to interested parties, so that you have the chance to talk about your products and services in light of their special day.
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After you’ve done some thinking, share with us: How will you incorporate lavender into your wedding season plans? We’d love to know.