Lifting the Veil: 'What's on Brides' Minds'?
25 Maio 2006 - 4:36PM
PR Newswire (US)
New Survey Reveals Contrasting Blend of Contemporary and
Traditional Attitudes CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., May 25 /PRNewswire/ --
Weddings, by definition, are steeped in tradition. But a
just-released survey found that today's brides are standing
tradition on its head: Nine out of ten say they're open to a
non-traditional wedding gown; nearly half would wear white to their
second wedding; some 41% attended a wedding solo and 10% have
attended an ex's wedding. The "What's On Brides' Minds" Survey,
conducted by Leflein Associates, Inc. for David's Bridal, the
nation's leading national bridal retailer, found dramatic changes
in attitudes toward the ultimate bridal symbol, the wedding dress.
Not only are 90% open to wearing a less traditional wedding dress,
but they'd break with conventional bridal attire in a number of
ways: nearly six in ten (58%) would eschew the all-white gown in
favor of some color, nearly a quarter (23%) would consider wearing
a shorter hemline, and nearly half (45%) would break the old taboo
by wearing white for a second trip down the aisle. It's not just
the dress that's changing: the social norms associated with wedding
guests are evolving too: More than two-fifths (41%) have gone stag
to a wedding, and more than one in four (26%) brought along a
platonic date. And proving that you can be friends with your former
spouse, one in ten said they had attended their ex's wedding. In
addition to shining a light on contemporary attitudes toward these
wedding customs, the "What's On Brides' Minds" Survey also
uncovered whom brides do -- and don't -- turn to for wedding
advice, whose advice is the most -- and least -- helpful, how
brides meet their mates, and the biggest bridal stresses. Some
Traditions Still Stand the Test of Time While the survey "unveiled"
some surprisingly changed attitudes, it also revealed which bridal
traditions still endure. Almost four-fifths (79%) of surveyed women
won't show their wedding dress to their fianc� before the "Big
Day." Why? Most (68%) want to keep the moment special or a
surprise; more than 3 in 5 (62%) attribute their reluctance to
their own superstitions. Living up to their reputation for being
forthright, 10% of Northeastern respondents 'just don't want' his
opinion! Another tradition that remains popular is saving the gown
after the ceremony. 80% of respondents say they plan to do so, and
more than one-third (34%) will heirloom it to save as a keepsake.
"We weren't surprised by the combination of new attitudes and
traditional values that the survey exposed," said Lee Applbaum,
senior vice president of marketing for David's Bridal. "As the
largest and only national bridal retailer, we're in touch with more
brides-to-be on a daily basis than anyone else, so we've heard her
perspective first-hand. Today's bride has made it clear that she
wants her wedding to reflect her personal style, whether it goes
with or contrasts tradition, or contains a little of both." Father
Knows Best ... But Not When it Comes to Bridal Advice Brides may
lean on their dad's arm when they walk down the aisle, but when it
comes to wedding advice they lean on mom: nearly one-third (31%) of
respondents felt the most helpful wedding suggestions come from
Mom. That provides yet another apparent contradiction: Nearly 15%
indicate that their mother's advice is unsolicited. Friends clearly
know their friends: Almost a quarter of brides (22%) cite them as
having the most helpful suggestions. That may be a good thing,
since an almost equal number (24%) say that friends offer the most
unsolicited advice. Sorry Dads, but you're tied with co-workers for
last place in the "most helpful advice" category: only three
percent of respondents say they get the most useful counsel from
these two disparate groups. But that doesn't stop co-workers from
offering their insights: they're nearly tied with Mom as the most
likely source of unsolicited advice (13% and 15% respectively).
Future mothers-in-law, take heed: While you may mean well, only 1
in 10 brides say your counsel is helpful. Like co-workers, that
doesn't prevent you from sharing your views: you tend to give
unsolicited advice nearly as often as Mom does (Mothers-in-law 14%,
Moms, 15%). Wedding Dress Stress While more than a quarter (27%) of
brides say that the most stressful part of getting married is
"finding and securing the location," the search for the perfect
dress is statistically tied for the second most stressful element,
along with "finalizing the guest list" and "securing the date," (at
11.4%, 11.8% and 12.2%, respectively). Why the stress? The brides
cite wedding gown expense (55%), gowns not being available to try
on in their size (45%), the limited selection of wedding gown
styles (32%) and the lack of one-stop bridal shopping (30%).
Shopping for bridesmaid dresses has its own set of "hassles."
Two-thirds of brides-to-be say that their biggest problem when
shopping for bridesmaid dresses is finding one style to fit and
flatter each bridesmaid's body type; 45% cite limits in styles,
colors and sizes and 37% cite fitting out-of-town bridesmaids as
the biggest annoyance. "Our goal at David's Bridal is to make the
bridal shopping experience as enjoyable as possible by addressing
the very issues unveiled in the survey" said Applbaum. "We do this
by offering affordable luxury via an unparalleled range of bridal
and bridal party styles and sizes -- such as those from
aspirational designer labels Oleg Cassini and Monique Luo --
available to try on and take home the same day. And to serve
today's on-the-go bride, we deliver convenience via our nearly 260
stores nationwide and user-friendly website. All these elements
combine to help reduce stress and allow brides to focus on what's
really critical: enjoying the most important day of their lives."
You Had Me At 'Hello' The survey found that meeting through
friends, at 20%, tops the list of how brides "met their match." And
although once taboo, the office romance is not only alive and well,
but much more than a mere fling: 15% of respondents met their
significant other this way. And proving that true love never dies,
more than 1 in 10 brides (13%) surveyed will marry their high
school sweetheart. As a sign of the times, 10 times as many people
met their mates through an online dating service as through an
offline dating service (6% vs. 0.6%). No matter where today's
brides-to-be are meeting their true love or what type of gown they
plan to wear, one thing is clear: they want their wedding, their
way. And then what do they want? To live happily ever after.
Methodology This telephone survey was conducted by Leflein
Associates, Inc. from January 30th -- February 9th, 2006. A total
of 501 surveys were completed among a national listed sample of
adult women ages 18 and older that were recently engaged. This
study has a margin of error of plus or minus 5% at the 95%
confidence level. About David's Bridal: With more than 50 years of
bridal experience, David's Bridal understands the importance of
providing brides-to-be with a vast selection of exquisitely crafted
dresses, available at affordable prices. Today, with nearly 260
locations nationwide, David's Bridal continues to expand its retail
store locations, while maintaining its philosophy of beauty,
elegance and quality. To locate a store nearby, consumers can call
1-877-693-BRIDE or visit http://www.davidsbridal.com/ . David's
Bridal is a division of The Federated Department Stores Company.
(NYSE:FD). DATASOURCE: David's Bridal CONTACT: Charly Rok or Jamie
Rudolph of LIPPE TAYLOR, +1-212-598-4400 ext. 155 or 162, Charly
Cell: +1-917-912-2863, , , for David's Formal Web site:
http://www.davidsbridal.com/
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