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David's Bridal Poll reveals rising use of social media for Canadian weddings

TORONTO, Feb. 5, 2013 /CNW/ - The rules of wedding etiquette are quickly changing as more couples are using social media for announcing, planning, and celebrating weddings, according to a David's Bridal poll of 1,262 Canadian brides released today. With a quarter of those surveyed getting engaged over the holidays (28%), weddings seem ready-made for social media sharing —or oversharing, depending on how you look at it  -- and we may be seeing more couples logging into Facebook from the ceremony, reception or honeymoon.

"Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting times for a couple, and it's only natural that some brides want to share the news and all the details with their friends, family and followers via social media channels," said Victoria Rucks, District Manager at David's Bridal Canada. "While some brides are more private, our poll shows that social media may be turning a traditional wedding on its head as many use various tools and apps to not only plan their big day, but are also integrating it into their wedding."

With 45% of couples now setting up both special wedding sites and online registries, it's clear that social media is valuable to those polled. Newly-engaged brides are also turning to social media to get inspired with wedding ideas (62%), source vendors via Facebook (43%), download wedding planning apps (35%) and manage RSVPs online (24%).

Ms. Rucks added, "In David's Bridal stores across the country, we are seeing more of our brides seeking social tools for collaboration and inspiration so they can create a personalized wedding celebration. Our brand promise begins with helping Canadian brides find the dress of their dreams and it continues with providing a variety of digital tools that support them with everything from budgeting, to sharing photos on Pinterest, to assigning tasks to the bridal party -- all while staying connected with friends and family."

Top Trends for Social Brides
Aside from helping to plan their weddings, David's Bridal has pulled together the top trends for how today's Canadian brides are using social media for everything after saying "yes" until they say, "I do."

The new norm for announcing engagements: When asked about how to share the news of their engagement, the majority of Canadian brides think it is okay to announce via Facebook (68%), email (67%) or text (59%), but they draw the line at Twitter and Instagram as approximately 6 in 10 thought it was tacky to announce using these media sources.

Couples stay online on their Wedding Day: While the majority of brides don't plan on logging into their social networks on their wedding day (58%), a whopping 1 in 5 (21%) plan on staying connected and sharing their news with everyone on the big day.

The New Honeymoon: A honeymoon retreat may no longer be a time to disconnect from the world. Surprisingly, one-third of brides plan on logging into their networks during their time away and 1 in 5 plan to share status updates. Almost half the brides (43%) are sharing photos of their honeymoons online.

Brides update their Facebook status quickly: While only 5% of brides updated their Facebook relationship statuses within minutes of saying yes to their fiancés, nearly 1 in 5 (18%) did so within hours of getting engaged and another 15% updated the day after. The large majority (43%) updated their status within the week. At the same time, over one third (36%) of newlyweds updated their relationship status on Facebook the day after their wedding. Over half (52%) did so within the week of saying, "I do."

Pinterest is on the rise: While blogs and wedding sites are the most valuable tools for brides as almost all (91%) went online to these sites after getting engaged, Pinterest seems to be an increasingly important resource for Canadians brides. Forty-two percent pinned photos on wedding boards and 48% used Pinterest sharing boards when planning their nuptials.

Sharing the love - and photos: The large majority of brides are anxious to share wedding photos on Facebook, with almost 8 out of 10 (79%) planning to do so and 43% are planning on posting honeymoon photos. Other plans for sharing the love include informing guests of wedding registry information (1 in 5 respondents), sharing wedding inspirations (13%) and showcasing the wedding video (11%).

Tradition rules for invitations: Brides still like the formality of wedding invitations as almost 1 in 4 think paper invitations are necessary for all wedding activities and another half of Canadian brides (47%) have mixed feelings about using paperless invitations. They believe it's okay for wedding-related activities, like showers and parties, but not for the actual wedding. Only 15% of respondents thought it was totally fine to go completely electronic.

Future potential of technology at weddings: Live streaming of the wedding may be a rising trend for Canadian weddings. While only 9% responded that they streamed their wedding to have everyone involved, 30% are open to the idea. You may also see a Twitter station at your next reception, as 14% of respondents said they wished they knew about it or thought of it before. In the coming years, using these technological tools may continue to grow among brides.

About David's Bridal:
With over 60 years of experience dressing women of all ages for life's special occasions, David's Bridal understands the importance of providing brides-to-be with a vast selection of exquisitely crafted bridal gowns and bridal party dresses. Known for outstanding value, fashionable designs and the ease of one-stop shopping, nearly 60% of all brides in the US choose to shop at one of more than 300 David's Bridal stores located across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Working with a knowledgeable bridal consultant, a customer can try on a wide selection of gowns and dresses in her size with the added convenience that most styles are available to take home the same day. To learn more about David's Bridal, visit www.davidsbridal.ca or call 1-877-851-2743.

About David's Bridal Poll:
Methodology: An online survey was conducted from November 14^th-26^th 2012. Email invitations were sent to a random sample of Canadian brides whose event date in David's Bridal system was between February and October 2012. A total of 1,262 women responded to the survey.

SOURCE: David's Bridal