Saying "I Do" In The Digital Age

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As we approach the March 20^th celebration of National Proposal Day, David's Bridal, the nation's leading bridal and special occasion authority, gets to the heart of how newly engaged women will start planning their trip down the aisle. The big news is that everything has gone digital, and the new tools of the trade are a smart phone or a computer instead of a wedding binder. In the company's 7^th annual "What's On Brides' Minds Survey," David's Bridal found that the 2013 bride will plan, chronicle and culminate all of her wedding details with the help of social media, ranging from Pinterest to Facebook to Skype.

David's Bridal found that these platforms not only streamline the wedding planning process, but also serve various functions for the modern bride. Pinterest allows her to assemble an inspiration board fit for a fashion showroom, Skype makes it possible for family and friends that can't attend the wedding to be part of the festivities and Instagram and Twitter enable the creation of special hashtags for guests to photo share during the big day.

Though the typical bride's nuptials might not get televised, like those of Kate Middleton or the next "Bachelor" winner, social media is also allowing the average newlywed pair to broadcast their wedding to the world in what's becoming a prominent industry trend. Last month, TheKnot.com held the first-ever live-streamed, crowd sourced wedding, and Brides magazine is following suit with an upcoming live-streamed Facebook wedding. Companies like I Do Stream and Marry Me Live even offer webcasting services to couples looking to go "live" on the big day. What might have seemed "over the top" years ago, is now becoming a common practice as brides look to say "I do" in unique ways and on multiple platforms.

"Through our more than 300 stores nationwide, it's becoming evident that brides are using social media through every step of their wedding process," said David's Bridal Chief Marketing Officer, Brian Beitler. "Our bridal consultants have reported women 'skype-ing' their relatives in-store as they try on their wedding gowns and hearing brides' stories of how they plan to live stream their nuptials so guests that can't attend will still be present. Going digital is the new norm for brides and we're seeing it firsthand."

In the brand's annual "What's On Brides' Minds" survey of newly engaged and married women, David's Bridal cemented these in-store findings even further – weddings have officially become digitalized!

The social network of wedding planning
Brides are pinning, posting and texting their way to the altar!

• The online bride: 59 percent of brides say online resources like Pinterest, Facebook and blogs are the best places to find wedding inspiration.
• Pinterest dibs: With Pinterest celebrating its third anniversary this month, it has quickly become the ultimate tool for brides-to-be. Nearly half of brides (46 percent) wouldn't use an idea they found on a friend's Pinterest board!
• Fittings on your phone:  Dress shopping isn't confined to the fitting room anymore!  In fact, 68 percent of brides use technology during their fittings, from texting pictures to family to posting videos on a social media site.

RSVP'ing for the Skype wedding…with a plus one
Can't make the wedding? No problem! Just pull up a laptop and watch from there.

• Virtual wedding guests: Now trending, nearly half (49 percent) of all respondents say they would consider "skype-ing" their wedding.

Social media should come with a handbook
Wedding guests beware! Think twice before hitting send on your mobile!

• Digital rule of thumb: 56 percent of newlywed women think it's important to have social media rules at the wedding.
• The dress is off limits: 61 percent forbid their bridesmaids from uploading pics of the bride donning her dress before the ceremony
• My wedding, me first: 52 percent say the bride and groom must be the first to post a picture of their wedding to a social media site.

Status update: Sue Smith went from being "engaged" to "married"
So much for waiting for the paperwork to go through! Brides want their "friends" to know they're hitched - pronto!

• Facebook official: Up 11 percent from 2011, 59 percent of brides will update their Facebook status to "married" or update their new name within a day of walking down the aisle.

To find out more about David's Bridal wedding resources, notably the new "My Event" wedding planning app, a social media tool for brides-to-be, visit www.davidsbridal.com.

Methodology
The David's Bridal 2013 Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.WakefieldResearch.com) between November 16^th and November 27^th, 2012. For this research, 500 interviews were fielded using an email invitation and an online survey among women ages 18 and older, who are engaged to be married or were married within the last two months.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation.  The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.  For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.4 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

About David's Bridal:
With more than 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 enjoy trying 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.com.

SOURCE David's Bridal