SUPPLIER EXCLUSIVE

AustralianWedding Business Report

With results from 400+ Australian wedding businesses

Image: Passion8 Photography

About Easy WeddingsOur mission is to help Australian wedding businesses grow. 80% of Australian couples getting married trust Easy Weddings to connect them with reputable suppliers such as you, for what is one of the most important days of their life.

To achieve this goal, over the past 12 months Easy Weddings has ramped up its Pro-Education Program for Australian wedding suppliers.

In 2019, we’ll be running Australia’s first-ever wedding business growth conference. Easy Weddings Evolve will run for two days and include keynotes and panels from world-class speakers and local experts from the Australian wedding industry.

You can read more about the Easy Weddings Evolve conference at EasyWeddings.com.au/evolve

You can check out our online education hub at EasyWeddings.com.au/pro-education.

Or join the discussion with fellow wedding businesses via our Facebook B2B Group: Facebook.com/groups/easyweddingsproedu

And of course, if you have any questions, our friendly customer service team is always here to help on 1800 155 122 .

Image: Kevin McGinn Photographer

As a valued partner of Easy Weddings I’m pleased to be able to share with you the results of our very first Easy Weddings Australian wedding business report.

I’d like to thank the 400+ wedding suppliers who took the time to complete our survey and become a part of Australian wedding history.

This 2019 report brings together the first real look at the Australian wedding industry from a supplier perspective. However, what it doesn’t show is the passion and energy each and every one of you brings to your own business.

We hope you find this data invaluable (as we have) to helping you further understand Australian couples and your competition, as well as how to best position your business within the Australian wedding industry. By having access to data such as this, it’s our goal to help you continue to grow a strong and purposeful business that provides an immeasurable experience for Australian couples.

Matt Butterworth

CEO and Founder

Easy Weddings

Between July and August 2018, Easy Weddings conducted the first-ever industry survey of wedding suppliers around Australia.

More than 400 wedding businesses shared their industry experiences, telling us everything from how much their annual turnover is, to what social platforms they use and how long before the wedding date a couple will book their services.

This survey gives us the most comprehensive picture of Australian wedding businesses to date, looking at how suppliers tailor their particular services to different areas of the industry.

Easy WeddingsAustralian Wedding

Business Report

Image: Kevin Lue Photography

2019

2.2 is the average number of people each wedding business employs

118,401 is how many weddings were performed in Australia in 2016*

$3.7+ billion is how much the Australian wedding industry is worth to the economy

The average Australian wedding business turns over $204,770 per year

The average wedding business is 9.9 years old

Wedding businesses worked on an average of 49 weddings in 2017

They hope to perform an average of 62 weddings by the end of 2018

There are 56,124 wedding businesses operating in Australia

Do suppliers predict positive, neutral or negative growth for their business over the next 12 months?

Do suppliers predict a positive, neutral or negative impact to the Australian economy over the next 3 years?

VIC

NSWACT

QLD

NT

WA

SA

TAS

6,100

10,469

1,141

15,310

1,860

1,69515,047

4,502

71% Positive

24% Neutral

5% Negative

45% Positive

47% Neutral

8%Negative

* Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

The average Australian wedding supplier is a 44-year-old female who works from a home office.

They’ve been operating in the wedding industry for 8.5 years and consider themselves to be a seasoned veteran who is

both creatively and business minded.

18% Commercial

premises

25% Other

7%65+

72%Female

28%Male

32% A creative

12% More business minded

62% Both creatively and

business minded

They describe themselves as:

Australian wedding

suppliers are:

Where do suppliers work from?

Wedding business owners are aged between:

The core focus of their business is:

The average age of an Australian wedding business is:

82%Home office

73% Weddings

14%Corporate

37%0-3 years

33% 4-10 years

19% 11-20 years

10%21-50 years

1%51+ years

3%18 - 24

24%25 - 34

29%35 - 44

22%45 - 54

15%55 - 64

0 25% 50% 75% 100%

1% 3+ days

Most wedding businesses take the following as a deposit

The average wedding supplier has a response time of 6 hours, while the average wedding business has an enquiry to sale rate of 25%.

The average wedding supplier puts

32% A creative

How many suppliers think they’re being used to 100% of their capacity

24%

27%

25%

24%

The average response time of a wedding supplier

into their business every week

36% 0 - 1 hours

28% 1 - 2 hours

17% 3 - 6 hours

12% 6 - 24 hours

6%1 - 2 days

30 hours

21%

Days and datesIn 2017, 50% of all weddings occured on just 32 days of the year. And they were all Saturdays!

It’s not surprising that Saturday is the most popular day for couples to get married, however it does seem that couples are willing to move their wedding day around if it falls on a particularly special date.

The most popular days on which to get married

Monday 3%

Tuesday 3%

Wednesday 3%

Thursday 5%

Friday 14%

Saturday 62%

Sunday 10%

The most popular wedding seasons in Australia

Summer20%

Autumn30%

Winter15%

Spring35%

The most popular months for weddings per state

VIC NSW QLD SA WA

Jan 3% 4% 1% 5% 4%

Feb 7% 4% 4% 6% 1%

Mar 11% 7% 6% 5% 8%

Apr 9% 7% 10% 9% 9%

May 6% 4% 5% 1% 10%

Jun 2% 4% 7% 4% 2%

Jul 4% 4% 11% 5% 1%

Aug 7% 6% 9% 5% 2%

Sep 10% 15% 16% 8% 10%

Oct 14% 18% 13% 25% 18%

Nov 18% 19% 12% 19% 24%

Dec 9% 8% 6% 6% 10%

*Limited data available for the ACT, NT and TAS to provide reliable trends

You can find Australian wedding businesses

using the following social platforms:

Australian wedding businesses are

using an average of

22.5% of their annual

turnover on their marketing budget

While the average business spends 22.5% of their annual revenue on their marketing budget, younger businesses will generally spend more while they try to build up business awareness.

Businesses that are less than 5 years old will spend an average of 27% of their annual turnover on their marketing budget, while

businesses that are older than 5 years will spend 20%.

Wedding businesses with a higher annual turnover, such as venues, are more likely to spend less on their marketing budget.

The average marketing spend of a wedding venue is 12.5%.

98%

86%

24%

23%

15%

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Twitter

Snapchat 3%

Image: Ferndara Creative

How many same-sex weddings have been performed in each state*

Same-sex weddings in Australia On December 9 2017, following a national postal survey that cost $122 million, the government finally legalised same-sex marriage in Australia.

In the six months following the legislation, 2490 same-sex marriages were performed across the country.

The wedding industry didn’t see the initial spike in weddings that we originally expected following the changing of the law. Instead we’ve seen same-sex couples go through the same wedding planning processes and timeline as any other couple who has just got engaged. By the end of 2018, we’re expecting more than 5500+ same-sex marriages to have been performed in Australia.

Initial data from 2018 shows us that wedding suppliers worked on an average of 1.5 same-sex weddings this year as the industry continues to grow.

VIC

NSWACT

QLD

NT

WA

SA

TAS

292

374

21

853

48

66674

162

* Source: Births, Deaths and Marriage between December 9, 2017 and June 1, 2018.

Image: Sara Hannagan Photography

Wedding Category Insights and Trends

Image: Studio RL Photography

2019

Wedding VenuesCustomer Satisfaction 4.8/5

Supplier: Milestone Events

Facts• Wedding venues are booked an average of

11 months before the wedding date

• Venues can spend around 42 hours working on a single wedding

• More than 50% of all venues believe they are servicing less than half of the weddings they could book

• The average venue can service 2 weddings per day

Average annual turnover of a wedding venue

What venues think are the biggest challenges facing their industry:

• Finding good staff and chefs to service the venue

• Regular upkeep and updating of venue facilities

• Competition where there are several wedding venues in a similar area

What venues think the future will be like:

• 71% of venues predict positive growth in their category over the next 12 months

• However, nearly half of all venues predict a neutral impact from the Australian economy

Instagram 93%

Facebook 99%

Pinterest 31%

Snapchat 10%

Twitter 17%

LinkedIn 24%

5% <$100K

7% $101K - $250k

21%$251K - $500k

15%$501K - $999k

26%$1M - $2M

10% $2M - $3M

13% $3M+

3% NA

What social platforms do they use?

$1,239,744

Wedding venues across Australia are some of the oldest wedding businesses in the country, with the average age of a wedding venue coming in at 28 years. Wedding venues are also a labour intensive endeavour hiring an average of 16 employees, the most out of any category. The average cost of a wedding venue is $13,700.

Wedding photographers are often booked 8 months in advance of the wedding date and can put in up to 29 hours on each individual wedding. They serviced an average of 20 weddings in 2017 and expect to be able to service at least one more in 2018. The average cost of a wedding photographer is $2,930.

Wedding PhotographyCustomer Satisfaction 5/5

Supplier: Dreamlife Photography

Facts• Photographers take an average of 24%

deposit when booking a wedding

• Most wedding photographers are aged between 35 and 44 years old

• 42% of photographers use expos as one of their marketing tools

• More than 75% of all photographers stick to doing just one wedding a day

Average annual turnover of a wedding

3% NA

Instagram 93%

Facebook 98%

Pinterest 23%

Twitter 14%

LinkedIn 22%

What photographers think are the biggest challenges facing their industry:

• Hobby and amateur photographers in an unregulated industry

• Exposure and marketing the business

• Educating couples on the value of professional wedding photos

What photographers think the future will be like:

• 66% of wedding photographers think that the next 12 months will be positive for them

• 51% of photographers believe the Australian economy will have a neutral impact on wedding photography over the next 3 years

• However, 41% believe the economy will have a positive impact

$88,728

69%<$100K

25%$101K - $250k

2%$251K - $500k

What social platforms do they use?

The average marriage celebrant describes themself as both creatively and business minded. The average cost of a celebrant is $720 and they put an average of 17 hours into each wedding. Celebrants are optimistic for 2018, hoping to perform an average of 32 weddings before the end of the year, compared with 26 in 2017.

Marriage CelebrantsCustomer Satisfaction 5/5

Supplier: Elisa Westein Celebrant

Facts• Despite 32% of couples saying they would prefer to

hire a male celebrant, a whopping 80% of marriage celebrants in Australia are female

• The majority of marriage celebrants are aged between 55 and 64 years old

• Most celebrants can perform two weddings in a day

• They believe they’re being used to around 56% of their actual capacity

What celebrants think are the biggest challenges facing their industry:

• Too many celebrants operating in the same areas leading to a saturated market

• Low cost celebrancy options lowering the professionalism of the industry

• Finding the right work/life balance

What celebrants think the future will be like:

• Celebrants are a positive bunch, with 68% predicting strong growth in the industry over the next 12 months

• 49% also think that the growth of the Australian economy will have a positive impact on celebrants

Average annual turnover of a marriage celebrant

$54,790

2%NA

Instagram 75%

Facebook 97%

Pinterest 16%

Snapchat 1%

Twitter 13%

LinkedIn 28%

94%<$100K

4% $101K - $250K

What social platforms do they use?

The average wedding car company spends 37 hours of the working week on their business and has been running their business for around 14 years. They can perform a huge average of 4 weddings in a day. The average amount spent on hiring wedding day transport is $1,170.

Wedding CarsCustomer Satisfaction 4.8/5

Supplier: Enrik Limousines

Facts• 14% of wedding car companies can

service more than one state

• Couples book their wedding cars around 6 months in advance

• 81% of wedding car owners work from a home office

• They usually spend 9 hours working on each wedding

What car suppliers think are the biggest challenges facing their industry:

• Managing the appropriate number of staff and upkeep of vehicles

• Deregulation of the industry with rideshare services

What car suppliers think the future will be like:

• 57% of wedding car providers believe the Australian economy will have a neutral impact on the wedding car industry

• However, 41% believe there will be a positive economic impact

Instagram 71%

Facebook 95%

Pinterest 24%

Snapchat 5%

Twitter 14%

LinkedIn 14%

Annual turnover of a wedding car company

$363,750

4% NA

62%<$100K

10%$101K - $250K

5%$251K - $500K

10%$501K - $999K

5%$1M - $2M

5%$3M+

What social platforms do they use?

Ranging from a single musician to a band to a DJ, most wedding music suppliers describe themselves as seasoned veterans who are both creatively and business minded. They’ve typically been in business for 11 years and work from a home office. The average cost of wedding music is $1,695 while the average music business will put 15 hours into each wedding.

Wedding MusicCustomer Satisfaction 4.8/5

Supplier: Honey and Stone

Facts• Music suppliers can service an average of

3 weddings a day

• However, more than half of all suppliers believe they’re being used at less than 50% of their full capacity

• Couples typically book their wedding music 8 months in advance

• Music has the largest group of male workers, with men making up 81% of all wedding music suppliers

What musicians and DJs think are the biggest challenges facing their industry:

• Low cost operators undercutting the market

• Music streaming services

• Managing the expectations of a client’s budget in comparison to other prioritised categories

What music suppliers think the future will be like:

• Half of all wedding music suppliers expect the Australian economy to have a neutral impact on their industry

• This is despite 62% of them believing that their category will grow positively over the next 12 months

What social platforms do they use?

Instagram 86%

Facebook 99%

Pinterest 8%

Snapchat 5%

Twitter 22%

LinkedIn 35%

Average annual turnover of a wedding music business

3%$501K - $999K 3%

NA

$102,083

70%<$100K

19% $101K - $250K

5%$251K - $500K

Florists can service up to four weddings a day on average, with some florists servicing up to 30 weddings a day! Florists are more inclined to use the visual advantages of Instagram more than Facebook, while also using Pinterest more than any other category. Florists are the most secretive of all wedding categories, with more than a quarter choosing not to release the details of their annual turnover. The average spend on wedding flowers is $1,680.

Wedding FlowersCustomer Satisfaction 4.9/5

Supplier: Flora by T

Facts• A wedding florist spends around

20 hours on each wedding• They’re usually booked by a couple 7

months in advance of the wedding date• Floristry businesses are split between

working from home, 41%, or working from a commercial premises, 59%

• Florists believe that they’re being used to 51% of their potential capacity

What florists think are the biggest challenges facing their industry:

• Business exposure and increasing the brand name

• Managing the expectations of clients with large expectations from Pinterest or Insta weddings but without the budget to match

• Appropriate staffing for the workload and number of weddings serviced

What florists think the future will be like:

• Florists are a positive bunch, with 77% of all florists positive about the growth of their category over the next 12 months

• They’re also optimistic about the impact the economy will have on floristry, with just 5% of them predicting a negative impact over the next 3 years

What social platforms do they use?

Instagram 95%

Facebook 91%

Pinterest 64%

Snapchat 5%

Twitter 9%

LinkedIn 9%

Average annual turnover of a wedding florist

$113,750

48%<$100K

15%$101K - $250K

11%$251K - $500K

26%NA

Hair and makeup is one of the few categories that is dominated by a single gender. 99% of all wedding hair and makeup artists in Australia are female. They typically spend 11 hours working on each wedding and can do up to 2 weddings in a day. Despite the increase of Insta-famous hair and makeup artists, wedding hair and makeup artists are still using Facebook more than they use Instagram. The average spend on hair and makeup is $685.

Wedding Hair and MakeupCustomer Satisfaction 4.9/5

Supplier: Tanya Artistry

Facts• Hair and makeup artists predict strong growth for

2018, expecting to service an average of 28 weddings this year compared with 20 in 2017

• However, more than half of all artists believe they’re being used to less than 50% of their working capacity

• 89% of artists will work from a home office• A hair and makeup artist has typically been in the

business for 8 years and puts 24 hours into their business per week

What hair and makeup artists think are the biggest challenges facing their industry:

• Oversaturation of the market with poor quality services taking over the industry

• Booking staff for weddings when a client requests a specific artist

• Building and maintaining a good portfolio in an ever-changing market

What wedding hair and makeup artists think the future will be like:

• 48% of hair and makeup artists believe that the Australian economy will have a positive impact on their category, while another 48% believe the impact will be neutral

• Regardless, 78% think that they will experience positive business growth over the next 12 months

What social platforms are they using?

Instagram 89%

Facebook 96%

Pinterest 22%

Twitter 4%

LinkedIn 26%

Average annual turnover of a hair and/or makeup artist

$55,556

7% $101K - $250K

93% <$100K

Government InitiativesThe overall initiatives suppliers would like from the government when it comes to the wedding industry:

• More tax cuts, small business loans and grants

• Raising the GST income threshold to help small businesses

• Streamlined technology in managing marriage registrations

• A cap on the number of registered celebrants in Australia

• More regulation of musician licenses to stamp out streaming media without a license

• More parking in city areas and near city venues for suppliers

29%

of all wedding suppliers believe there should be more government training provided in their field

Image: Dan Evans Photography

General Notes for SuppliersWhile we had more than 29 categories respond to our wedding supplier survey there was only sufficient data from 7 categories to provide reliable feedback. As the first detailed report inside the wedding industry in Australia, we want to be able to build on this base to provide a more comprehensive report across different categories in the years to come.

What influences a couples decision to purchase?

Phone: 1800 155 122

Email: service@easyweddings.com.au

Address: 18 Miles St, Mulgrave VIC 3170

easyweddings.com.au

We’re here to help!

If you’d like to discuss this data further, or want to chat about how you can make the most of these exclusive insights to maximise your business, please get in touch.

• Responsiveness from the supplier

• The supplier’s personality

• Reviews from previous customers

• A supplier’s website/storefront

• Where a supplier is based

• A supplier’s social media

Image: Simone Addison Photography