Bigger and Better Things…!

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Just when you think the dissertation journey is over, another related journey begins!

I’m now editing my dissertation with the hope of publishing my work in an academic journal! I’m so excited and after getting a first for my dissertation I’m in high hopes. The editing is a long process as it has to be perfect. I also have to cut out 6,000 words which is very challenging. Fortunately my tutor is helping me with this as he understands I am attached to my work!

Fingers crossed I can share my work online soon, and more updates will follow as they happen.

Identity & Image

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My dissertation journey has just six days left. I’ve had to stop posting on here due to copyright and the potential of plagiarism when I hand my work in. The past eight months have been a dream and have taught me a lot about myself and the wedding industry.

At the moment I am currently in the concluding stages of writing my dissertation, and the main theme throughout my results has been the indentity and image that couples, particularly women, wish to portray on their wedding day. I’m a big believer that a wedding day is about two people joining together and celebrating everything that has happened in their life so far whilst embracing everything that is to come. So why is image so important to the bride on her big day?

Popularity. Competition. Money.

Weddings symbolise wealth and security. The image of the wedding planner is a prime example of that, and my research has proved this. Many of my questionnaire participants identified the wedding planner as controlling and unnecessary, and could not understand the benefits of having a wedding planner to help their wedding planning process. Of course I’m biased, however I’ve done some research and I know that a wedding planner reduces ambivalence felt by the couple. So my next question is, why do couples spend so much money on the image of their wedding rather than on a person who can help their wedding planning process become much easier and less stressful? Pride? Ignorance? A lack of money? I don’t have the answer to this question, and I hope that as I research into the wedding industry it becomes clearer to me. I believe the wedding planner is the couples personal fairy godmother, a person who takes away all the stress of the wedding, leaving only the fun and joyful parts of the planning to the couple.

I’ve read first hand about couples who fight with their personal appearance and their weight for their wedding day and I believe this creates even more stress. A wedding planner is there for guidance, support and expertise. A wedding cannot plan itself and some direction is needed from someone, whether this be a wedding planner, a family member or a friend. Surely planning the event successfully and making sure you’re enjoying this process and the event itself is more important than the couple and their wedding day looking perfect? A wedding day means the couple is surrounded by people who love them, not people who judge them, so why do the majority of couples have to look perfect and deliver a perfect event?

Albeit every wedding planner wants their events to be perfect, as would I. But there will always be hiccups on the day and that’s what a wedding planner is there for, and these things are more important to look out for than the way we look. Authenticity should not prevail the event ambiance as without this an event ceases to exist and it will become a room filled with people and nothing more.

Data Collection 

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The dissertation journey is nearing the end, and everything is moving very quickly these days. I’m pleased to say I collected 231 complete responses from my online survey. The response from industry professionals was amazing, and I believe the survey could have gone much further. However my tutor advised me to stop collecting responses due to the time frame I have to work with – the more data I collect, the longer it takes me to analyse it all! My information is currently on SPSS and is still being edited before the analysis begins. As for my interviews, I have now carried out 4 with a further 5 participants ready to take part. I have been unfortunate with regards to arranging the interviews as things have been delayed due to reasons out of my control, but I am still confident that I will get everything I’d like to complete for this piece of research done in my time frame. Onwards and upwards! 

Future Dreams

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The dissertation work continues with three interviews scheduled for this weekend. The response rate to my online survey has quietened down, but I have 110 responses to work with which is a fairly good number! This week has consisted of working on my literature feedback to add in those extra references and critical analysis to strengthen the work.

This afternoon I also got speaking to one of my tutors about the possibility of publishing my dissertation when it is complete, and he was very keen to help me with this. I feel very passionate about education, university and weddings, and the idea of publishing my work to help other people in my shoes is a brilliant feeling. There isn’t currently a lot of literature on the wedding industry, let alone on something as specific as wedding consumption. This has really motivated me to keep going with my work in the hope that one day I’ll have a publication!

Day 1 of Online Data Collection

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I can’t help but write a post on my blog to remember how I feel right now. Yesterday I felt at a complete loss with my research as I had a fair number of people drop out of my interview data collection process, and this is the most important data collection method out of the two I am using. I felt so disappointed and I am incredibly excited to be carrying out my dissertation. The prospect of using my data for my future career is so exciting and I hope it does come in use one day. Wedding planning research is very limited at the moment and I hope that I can contribute to it in some small way with my findings of this research.

Today saw my online surveys be published to the wide online world, and the response I have had from people has been incredible. I’m overwhelmed at how supportive and kind people are towards my research. My friends have played a large part in sharing my survey website link and encouraging their engaged friends to take part in my research which is fantastic. The best part is that I am also receiving amazing support from industry professionals, with some evening offering to publish my link on their websites. I hope that when my dissertation is published I can publish my results with these professionals and get my name out into the industry. My passion for weddings is indescribable. I am not the most aware of the current trends and fashions, nor do I know the most about the fine details of planning a wedding, but time and time again I show myself just how passionate and excited I am to be involved in the wedding industry, and I have been for many years. I can only hope that this excitement comes across to future employees and that they see the same potential in me that I see in myself.

Online Questionnaire to Complete

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At long last my online questionnaire is ready to be completed! If you’re married or engaged, or know anyone who is then please fill it out yourself or get them to fill the questionnaire out! The more responses I get the better my research will be!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7NJS7R6

Thank you in advance!

Grades & Methodology

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Yesterday I received my grade for my dissertation hand-in from December, and I am thrilled to have achieved 71% for it, which equates to a first class piece of work. I have already begun working on the feedback I received in order to make improvements to my literature review and I have a meeting scheduled with my tutor next week to discuss my feedback and the progress I have made over Christmas.

In the mean time I am busy creating my interview questions and questionnaire. Designing a questionnaire is a lot harder than it sounds! The questions must be worded correctly, open ended and closed questions should be included etc. etc. – there’s a lot to think about! My ethics forms have also been approved by the university, so I have the all clear to begin my research when I’m ready. I am currently advertising for engaged couples to participate in my work at a local bridal boutique in my village. I have 2 definite couples so far, and 3 that are possibilities. Fingers crossed I can gather 10 couples to interview for my research.

Semiotically Analysing Bridal Advertisements

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My Event Management degree recently consisted of a module titled “Consumer Culture” – a module which I enjoyed very much and have succeeded in. This module has helped me greatly with my dissertation, and has opened up my mind to the varying ways of studying Event Management. The link between Sociology and Event Management is also evident in this module. I learned many interesting things during this module last semester, but one of the lectures that stood out to me the most was on Semiotic Analysis. I would have loved to include this type of research in my dissertation, however I think I will have my hands full conducting interviews and questionnaires. After all, tomorrow it is a mere 3 months until my final dissertation has to be handed in… What a scary thought!

I thought I would share semiotic analysis on this blog as it can prove to be very eye-opening. Semiotic analysis shows that there is more to an advert than meets the eye. Below are 5 images that I have taken myself from the current “Brides” Magazine (Brides Magazine, 2014). Apologies that the quality of them is not perfect, but it is far easier to take a photo of the exact advertisement I wish to refer to rather than find them online! Each advert that I have chosen poses many questions, such as why have they chosen the person that is involved in the photo and why have they chosen that exact background? My tutor provided a fantastic example of an advert that had been designed to the very finest of details. It is easy to flick past an advert in a magazine without putting much thought into the design and message behind the advert, but semiotic analysis allows the mind to think deeply about what the designer intended the reader to come away with once the advert has been analysed. Semiotic analysis is very subjective as each individual may take something different away from an advertisement. Without speaking to the advert designer, it is hard to know exactly what they intend for us to pick out from the advertisement, but it is possible to think deeply about the possibilities.

Image 1 – Alan Hannah Wedding Dress Designer

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Why are there red roses present in this image? Why is the text centered in the middle of one page? Why is the bride sat on the floor? Why are the roses placed as they are? What does the advert designer want us to take away from this image? Personally, I believe the answer is romance, as is the answer with many wedding dress adverts. The presence of the red rose brings our attention to romance as it is the symbol of love. The attention to detail is synonymous with the relationship between the bride and the red rose she is holding.

Image 2 – Jade Daniels Wedding Dress Collection – designed by Christine Dando

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What is the theme behind this advert? It appears to be for younger brides when compared to the advert above. What is the symbolism behind the flowers and the scenery? Is the bicycle of symbolic importance in this advert? Why is a bicycle important in a wedding dress collection advert? What element of the advert has most attention paid to it? Why has the advert designer chosen these certain types and colours of flowers? My interpretation of this advert is to take the reader back to their childhood fantasies. As I have mentioned in my literature review posts, children are socialised into believing in marriage and the white wedding. It is common for children to ride a bike and enjoy colourful and pretty scenery such as the one in this advertisement. I believe this advert is telling the reader that their dream wedding dress can be found with this particular designer. 

Image 3 – Romantica Bridal Gowns Collection 

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Why is the bride looking down? Why is the angle of the photograph looking up at the bride rather than on the same level with her? Why has the designer chosen to photograph the advertisement outside? Why is so much of the advert taken up by the information box? What is the bride doing in the photograph? Why does this advert include more textual information than others? I believe the angle of the photograph is to demonstrate the idea of “looking up” to the bride as the wedding day is traditionally about the bride. The collection name “Romantica” is displayed in the advert on an outdoor background as outdoor wedding photographs are thought to be romantic.

Image 4 – David Tutera Wedding Dress Designer

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This advert is self-explanatory, and is my favourite advert in this issue of Brides Magazine. Once again, the concept of a little girl experiencing the day she has been dreaming about for her whole life is captured in this heart-warming image. The simplicity of the horse figurine, the flowers on the ground and the teddy that is being held by the girl gives the image an aura of innocence – an aura that is associated with brides and white weddings. 

Image(s) 5 – Amanda Wakeley Wedding Dress Designer

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The above images demonstrate the difference of black and white, and colour images. Which one will stand out more to the reader? These images are found on pages 63 and 65 of Brides Magazine (Brides Magazine, 2014) so the reader views the black and white image before the colour image. The images are easy to compare because of how they are featured in the magazine. Many advertisements in this Brides issue feature holiday destinations as the background – most likely as a hot destination is very appealing to most brides and is associated with the wedding day due to the organisation of the honeymoon. These particular adverts also display the difference that an extra piece of text can make. For example, the first thing your eyes avert to on the black and white image are the words “perfect dress”, however in the colour advert you gaze upon the bride and the background first. 

 

As demonstrated through these 5 images, semiotic analysis allows the mind to wonder deeply into the workings of an advert. It is easy to pull the advertisement apart to discover what is most important about it, and what we are supposed to take away from it. These analyses have been very brief, and there are many more examples found of ideal adverts to analyse in Brides Magazine.

 

References:

Brides Magazine (2014) Brides (January/February 2015, Diamond edition).

Literature Review Summary Part 4

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4. The Importance of Wedding Planners Understanding the Consumption Process

Key Points:

  • There is a growing demand for professionals in the wedding industry with an increasing number of individuals starting careers as wedding planners (Daniels and Loveless, 2014).
  • The UK wedding industry is now worth £10 billion a year as engaged couples purchase goods for the wedding day, honeymoon and guest expenses (Hitched W.I.F.E., 2011).
  • The wedding industry includes: wedding fairs and shows, bridal gown stores, media productions such as television adverts and magazines, reality TV shows, wedding books and films, and wedding consultants and other professionals (Ingraham, 2008).
  • Bridal roles are generated as a result of various pressures including parents, other family members, friends and society. The “superbride” is a consumer identity that portrays two sides to the bride’s personality: “the rational project manager existing alongside the emotional childish fantasizer” (Boden, 2003, 46).
  • Consumer ambivalence is usually experienced by the bride as she experiences mixed emotions including happiness, sadness, anxiety and stress during the wedding planning process (Otnes et al, 1997).
  • Sociological ambivalence is the internal conflict between an individual and society’s norms/expectations (Ruth, 1995).
  • Psychological ambivalence is also experienced by most brides as they battle with their own feelings whilst trying to please themselves and those around them during the wedding planning process (Ruth, 1995; Otnes et al, 1997).
  • The wedding planner has become a commodity due to the increase in demand for luxury services in the wedding planning industry as intimate life becomes commercialised (Blakely, 2008).
  • Hiring a wedding planner relieves the engaged couple of stress and consumer ambivalence as responsibility of the wedding planning process is passed over to a professional, therefore making the engaged couple feel relieved about their wedding day (The Journal, 2014a).

 

References:

Blakely, K. (2008) Busy Brides and the Business of Family Life: The Wedding-Planning Industry and the Commodity Frontier. Journal of Family Issues, 29 (5) 639-662.

Boden, S. (2003) Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Daniels, M. and Loveless, C. (2014) Wedding Planning and Management: Consultancy for Diverse Clients. 2nd edition. Oxon: Routledge.

Hitched W.I.F.E. (2011) Hitched W.I.F.E.: Wedding Industry Facts and Economies. Each Year UK Weddings are worth £10 Billion. [online]. Available from http://hitched-wife.org/wedding-facts-economics/summary-stats/each-year-uk-weddings-are-worth-10-billion-pounds/ [Accessed 02 November 2014].

Ingraham, C. (2008) White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge.

The Journal (2014a) Be Prepared and Your Big Day Won’t be Ruined by Stress. The Journal, 13 (October/November) 28-31.

Otnes, C., Lowrey, T. M. and Shrum, L. J. (1997) Toward an Understanding of Consumer Ambivalence. Journal of Consumer Research, 24 (1) 80-93.

Ruth, J. A. (1995) Sad, Glad, and Mad: The Revealing Role of Emotion in Consumer Ritual. Advances in Consumer Research, 22 (1) 692-692.

Literature Review Summary Part 3

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3. The Wedding Industry

Key Author: Ingraham (2008)

The third part of my literature review explains the growth of the UK wedding industry. Chris Ingraham (2008) succeeds in explaining the changes and details that have occurred in the 20th Century throughout all areas of the wedding industry. Ingraham (2008) explains:

  • after the 1990 bridal gown recession occurred, the prices for objects that are consumed for the wedding day doubled in price due to the increase of production costs. This led to consumers spending more on their wedding day, suggesting that the industry has expanded as a result of couples spending more money on individual aspects of the wedding day.
  • the wedding industry targets upper-class individuals to consume its goods as the wedding has become an expensive and compulsory ritual in western societies.

Other key points include:

  • The UK wedding industry’s trends are following those that are currently found in America (Daniels and Loveless, 2014).
  • Children in western societies are socialised to believe that a white wedding is inevitable in later life, and that marriage is a required ritual that is experienced by everyone. Manufactured toys such as “bride Barbie”, imaginative games involving weddings, and story books with the “fairy tale happy ending” all encourage children to believe in marriage whilst building an association between marriage and the white wedding (Otnes and Pleck, 2003).
  • The rise of the wedding industry has been a result of a rising number in wedding fairs and shows across the country. Whereas each county used to host a small number of wedding fairs, these figures have multiplied significantly alongside a growing number of wedding shows (UKAWP, 2011).
  • Despite changing statistical patterns of the preferred wedding ceremony, traditions are still highly valued by the engaged couple, regardless of whether a religious ceremony is carried out or not (Boden, 2003).
  • However, although couples remain traditional in some elements of the wedding planning process, there is a divide between which areas remain traditional and which do not. This varies for each couple as it is down to their discretion. As couple’s strive to showcase their personalities, various aspects of the wedding become unique (Daniels et al, 2012).
  • One in five weddings now take place abroad, illustrating a change in traditional trends (Mintel, 2011).
  • The rise of social media has provided engaged couples with more variety and guidance when planning a wedding. Websites such as Pinterest and wedding blogs are available to help those struggling to pinpoint the fine details of planning a wedding. It is debatable as to whether an increased amount of choice is beneficial to the couple or not (Boden, 2003).

 

References:

Boden, S. (2003) Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Daniels, M., Lee, S. and Cohen, T. (2012) The Attributes Influencing Wedding Reception Venue Selection. Event Management, 16 (3) 245-258

Daniels, M. and Loveless, C. (2014) Wedding Planning and Management: Consultancy for Diverse Clients. 2nd edition. Oxon: Routledge.

Ingraham, C. (2008) White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge.

Mintel (2011) Mintel: The Great Escape – One in Five Weddings Now Take Place Abroad. [online]. Available from http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/travel/the-great-escape-one-in-five-weddings-now-take-place-abroad [Accessed 13 November 2014].

Otnes, C. and Pleck, E. (2003) Cinderella Dreams: The Allure of the Lavish Wedding. Berkeley: University of California Press.

UKAWP (2011) UK Alliance of Wedding Planners: The Ever Changing Wedding Industry. [online]. Available from http://www.ukawp.com/blog/for-wedding-planners/life-as-a-planner/the-ever-changing-wedding-industry/ [Accessed 13 November 2014].

Literature Review Summary Part 2

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2. Consumption 

Key Author: Boden (2003)

The second section of my literature review describes what consumption is as a physical and mental process. The work of Sharon Boden (2003) applies the concept of consumption to the wedding planning process in order to gather an in depth understanding of wedding consumption. Boden (2003) discovered:

  • in some cases, the powers of society, marketing and the media influence consumers through purchasing patterns in order to control society.
  • wedding planning involves two variations of consumption: the commercial consumption of physical goods, and the concept of consuming and conceptualising the wedding itself as a commodity.
  • consumers look to experience a form of self-illusory hedonism as they aim to self-define and self-express themselves, all the while striving to be extraordinary in an ordinary society.

Other key points include:

  • People believe that what they consume and purchase defines who they are and the social groups they have been placed in. Post-modern consumption involves underlying practices as people consume goods directly and indirectly (Adomaviciute, 2013).
  • Consumption is more than purchasing a physical good – it includes anticipating the act of consumption, experiencing the action, and recollecting the event for years to come (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982).
  • “Hedonic consumption designates those facets of consumer behaviour that relate to the multi-sensory, fantasy and emotive aspects of one’s experience with products” (Hirschman and Holbrook, 1982, 92), therefore introducing the concept of consuming a product for enjoyment and pleasure rather than as a necessity.
  • Engaged couples find consuming different aspects of the wedding significantly important with some goods being sacred and others being profound. Brides and grooms also displayed differences between what was most important about the wedding day (Lowrey and Otnes, 1994).
  • Weddings are now much larger events than in the past with sights such as limousines and champagne fountains now being common. This is down to the rise of the romantic consumer culture – a culture based upon women carrying out their fairy tales (Otnes and Pleck, 2003).
  • Weddings are commonly viewed as a luxury purchase, sometimes deemed unnecessary. The wedding market is connected with wedding rituals that increase the time, money and energy that consumers put into their wedding, leading to the lavish wedding now being standard across many cultures (Knuts, cited in Andrews and Leopold, 2013). Why do people deem so many aspects of the wedding necessary?
  • Two people used to marry in order to unite two families together. The wealth of a family is still seen as important today, and the wedding can act as an event to publicise the wealth behind a family. Some individuals now spend money simply to display the wealth and taste that they possess – a process known as conspicuous consumption (Veblen, 2005).

 

References:

Adomaviciute, K. (2013) Relationship between Utilitarian and Hedonic Consumer Behaviour and Socially Responsible Consumption. Economics and Management, 18 (4) 754-760.

Andrews, H. and Leopold, T. (2013) Events and the Social Sciences. Oxon: Routledge.

Boden, S. (2003) Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hirschman, E. C. and Holbrook, M. B. (1982) Hedonic Consumption: Emerging Concepts, Methods and Propositions. Journal of Marketing, 46 (3) 92-101.

Holbrook, M. B. and Hirschman, E. C. (1982) The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun. Journal of Consumer Research, 9 (2) 132-140.

Lowrey, T. M. and Otnes, C. (1994) Construction of a Meaningful Wedding: Differences in the Priorities of Brides and Grooms. In: Janeen Arnold Costa (ed). Gender Issues and Consumer Behaviour. California: Sage Publications Ltd, 164-183.

Otnes, C. and Pleck, E. (2003) Cinderella Dreams: The Allure of the Lavish Wedding. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Veblen, T. (2005) Conspicuous Consumption. London: Penguin.

Literature Review Summary Part 1

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My literature review for this dissertation was handed in before Christmas. Slightly over the word count, my work consisted of 5,500 words, and these were split into five main sections, each with it’s main author. Part 1 is explained below.

1. The Sociology of the Nature of Weddings as Events

Key Author: Andrews and Leopold (2013)

The first section of my literature review discusses the link between event management, sociology and, to some extent, anthropology. Weddings are a special event that are purposefully organised to offer a display of ritual and mark a special occasion. Andrews and Leopold (2013) state the following:

  • events are linked to cultural importance, and have changed over time as a result of changing politics.
  • the wedding signifies “the passage of people from one status to another” (p36).
  • the wedding is a rite of passage that marks a passage of time and celebrates a change in social status.
  • individuals and social groups come to understand their identities when experiencing a rite of passage such as a wedding.

Other key points include:

  • The 1994 Marriage Act contributed to the decline in religious wedding ceremonies (Marriage Act 1994).
  • Many English couples now cohabit before getting married. Couples stated that they felt more secure and stable once they were married (Baker and Elizabeth, 2013).
  • Weddings create a conjugal unit, establish a new relationship between relatives, and act as a rite of passage which sees adolescents become adults. Wedding planning is likely to be the first large project organised by the engaged couple together, therefore placing a significant importance on getting the planning process correct. However it is usually brides that plan the wedding whilst choosing which tasks can be delegated to the groom (Sniezek, 2005).
  • Reasons why women plan a wedding rather than men: the historical importance placed upon a woman to move up the social class hierarchy, and therefore raised to believe in marriage; it may not be viewed as socially acceptable for men to arrange a wedding as the work is seen as domestic and emotional labour (typically carried out by women); the groom’s aim is commonly to keep the bride happy, therefore giving her control of the big day (Lowrey and Otnes, 1994).
  • People now seek to be an individual amongst society which has led to a decline in the religious domain. The engaged couple look to portray their personality throughout their wedding day, therefore leading to a decline in some traditional aspects of the wedding (Robinson et al, 2007).

 

References:

Andrews, H. and Leopold, T. (2013) Events and the Social Sciences. Oxon: Routledge.

Baker, M. and Elizabeth, V. (2013) Tying the Knot: The Impact of Formalization After Long-Term Cohabitation. Journal of Family Studies, 19 (3) 254-266.

Lowrey, T. M. and Otnes, C. (1994) Construction of a Meaningful Wedding: Differences in Bride and Grooms. In: Janeen Arnold Costa (ed). Gender Issues and Consumer Behaviour. California: Sage Punlications Ltd, 164-183.

Marriage Act 1994 (c.34). London: HMSO.

Robinson, R., Hermans, C., Scheepers, P. and Schilderman, H. (2007) Affected by Ritual. Predictors of Agreement with Church Marriage Rites in the Netherlands. Journal of Empirical Technology, 20 (2) 200-231.

Sniezek, T. (2005) Is It Our Day or the Bride’s Day? The Division of Wedding Labor and Its Meaning for Couples. Qualitative Sociology, 28 (3) 215-234.

 

The Beginning…

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I remember sitting in a first year ‘Business of Event Management’ lecture wondering what a dissertation was. Everyone else around me seemed to know what one was, and I was absolutely clueless. This lecture was titled ‘Sociology of Events’, and it was a lecture that I enjoyed very much. Having studied Sociology at A Level, I felt relaxed learning about something I had a background of knowledge in, and was excited to learn how sociology (one of my favourite subjects) linked to Event Management. At the mention of being able to do our dissertation on anything we liked – providing it linked to events – I stopped panicking, and instead my brain began wondering about linking sociology into my dissertation (whatever one was…).

Two years later, I’m very aware of what a dissertation is, and the idea to link sociology into my work never left my mind. I have always been interested to learn about social behaviour, trends and patterns in society, and I am a great believer that in order to succeed at something, it really helps if you enjoy it! The biggest problem I faced when it came to deciding what to write my dissertation on was how to narrow down this curiosity and decide upon a specific element of weddings, events and sociology. I enjoy working with people, and I spend a lot of my free time with friends and family. Naturally, the curiosity about the study of people and society has always been of particular interest to me.

My dissertation tutor, Marie, and I pinpointed the problem of having a broad range of research questions that I wanted to answer approx. 4 weeks into the semester. I had so many ideas flying around in my head, probably enough to write about 20 dissertations! By looking at the list of ideas I had, it is easier to understand how I came to decide to work on wedding consumption, sociology and events, and why my research is relatively broad yet specific.

  • Do people get married for a marriage or a wedding?
  • Why do people spend £20,000 on a one-day event?
  • How have changes in culture affected the concept of marriage and the details of a wedding?
  • Have the expectations of what a wedding should entail changed?
  • Are wedding planners necessary in the wedding planning process?
  • Do wedding planners help couples remain in their budget?
  • Do couples spend more money on their wedding or honeymoon, and which is most important to the couple?
  • Do ready-made wedding packages ruin the couple’s individuality and creativity in the wedding planning process?
  • Has the recession effected the wedding planning industry, and if so, how?
  • Why is a wedding so important?
  • Does the “white wedding” still exist?
  • The pressures of being a bride: why is a bride expected to look perfect and how is this achieved?

Many of these topics were thought to be sensitive issues, such as a person’s identity, or their reasons for getting married. I was advised by several people not to persue these topics as my dissertation is incredibly important, and the risk of not collecting enough data was too high a risk. I still worry that I won’t collect enough data for the dissertation I have chosen to carry out, but that is the risk you get when wanting to research into an engaged couple’s finance! Fingers crossed there are some kind couples out there who will be willing to help me out!

So, somehow, after experimenting with lots of different titles (that list isn’t all of them!) I chose: The Consumption of Weddings: An Exploratory Analysis of the Wedding Planning and Purchasing Process, and the rest will be history!

Why Weddings?

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Subject: Event Management

Dissertation Title: The Consumption of Weddings: An Exploratory Analysis of the Wedding Planning and Purchasing Process

 

Why Event Management?

It’s quite simple really. I can tick off every characteristic on this list that is needed to succeed in the events industry.

  • Organised (pretty OCD actually)
  • Time management (often early)
  • Friendly
  • Team Management
  • Leadership Skills
  • Committed (once I start something, I have to finish it)
  • Reliable

I’m sure there are plenty of other traits that are needed in the events industry, but let’s face it, the list isn’t exhaustive. And above all, I enjoy it!

And why have I chosen this title? 

First and foremost, I want to be a wedding planner. I’ve loved weddings since I was approx. 7 years old. My mum often tells me the story of the day she watched me watching Father of the Bride. Apparently my face was a picture, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen for the full 105 minutes, and to this day it is still my favourite film (followed by Father of the Bride Part II!) So, everybody says try and do something that you love for your career, and I love weddings. Initially I wanted to photograph weddings, but I soon discovered that wasn’t the right path for me. I still do photography as a hobby, but I’ve also learned that there are some passions in life that have to be left as a hobby so that you still experience true joy when carrying them out.

I have chosen to research into the necessity of wedding planners as this is my dream career. In order to discover how necessary wedding planners are, significant amounts of academic research needs to be carried out. I will not be able to answer the question by the end of my research, but I will be able to give an opinion on the subject with regards to my research question. My research also aims to discover the financial planning that occurs when planning a wedding, and how engaged couples are drawn into the consumption process whilst planning their wedding. The average cost of a wedding is now £20,000 – this is more than many people spend on a car, yet a wedding lasts one day and a car lasts significantly longer. Many people also don’t spent this much money on a holiday – something that also lasts significantly longer!

So what is it about weddings that draws in the consumer and influences them to spend so much money? What are people’s motives for spending so much money? Does a wedding portray who the engaged couple are as a couple, as an individual, or both? And which element of consumption is most significant in the wedding planning process?