When it comes to weddings in Florida, any time of the year can be viewed as wedding season. Still, late spring and early summer are often seen as the peak season for weddings, so here is some information to help hotels, caterers, and others in the hospitality industry prepare for what should be another busy year for matrimony.
What 2022 Taught Us About Weddings
The number of weddings held in 2022 was very high, at roughly 2.5 million. Many couples had postponed weddings scheduled for 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic, which explains the wedding boom in 2022.
Wedding businesses and hospitality operators can look to 2022 wedding trends to prepare for their 2023 weddings. In 2022, fewer couples took COVID-related precautions. It's also worth noting that more couples are choosing to hold themed weddings than in past years. Finally, many couples made a point of hosting environmentally friendly weddings in 2022, as sustainability has been an important trend across a wide range of events and industries.
What to Expect for the 2023 Wedding Season
2023 is expected to be another extremely busy year for the wedding industry, though not quite as busy as 2022. Not only will 2023 also be busy, many trends seen in 2022 are also going to be prevalent in 2023.
For example, wedding planners expect couples to continue to hold environmentally friendly weddings. Also, most industry experts expect themed weddings to continue to be popular. For hotels and hospitality establishments, playing to these trends can help drive business.
3 Tips to Prepare for the Wedding Season
Preparing a Florida wedding business for the busy season can be difficult, especially because it is difficult to know just how many weddings will be held in 2023. That said, some ideas can help. Businesses that prioritize forecasting, training, and making the day memorable for the bride and groom will often be more successful at creating new business, and making customers who have already booked even happier.
Forecasting
Perhaps the most effective way to prepare a wedding business for the busy season is to forecast how many weddings it will do. One of the best ways to do this is to encourage early registration. It may be a good idea for a wedding business, a caterer, or a hotel to offer a small discount for couples who register early.
Wedding businesses can also use analytics to forecast how many weddings they will hold in 2023. Industry experts expect that the number of weddings in 2023 will be approximately 10% less than it was in 2022. Businesses can get a rough idea of how many weddings they will hold in 2023 by taking their 2022 number and reducing it by 10%.
Training
Having a full staff of trained and experienced professionals is always important for wedding businesses. It's best to hire staff members with specific experience with foodservice at weddings or events rather than general foodservice experience. These experienced staff members can then take charge of training their less-experienced coworkers.
That said, help is hard to come by. With the right training plan in place, it's possible to take anyone with prior food and beverage experience, or even those who don't and turn them into effective hosts at important events. Listen to feedback from staff, and utilize that knowledge to help train existing employees as we move through the wedding season.
Making the Day Memorable
Wedding businesses must focus on making the day memorable by ensuring every aspect of the wedding goes smoothly. Businesses can do this by having a thorough plan for how each aspect of the wedding should go. However, wedding businesses must also stay flexible to respond quickly to unexpected events. One way to make the day memorable for the bride and groom, and their guests, is to make food and beverages readily available throughout the event.
Again, listen to input from the guests of honor and to staff. If more hors d'oeuvres are needed by the pool, ensure processes are in place to provide reinforcements. If people are crowding around a bar in the far corner of the room, consider a second bar or even moving drink stations around to make them more accessible.
Eaton Marketing can help.
When it comes to planning for foodservice related events, Eaton Marketing has experienced professionals who can help operators develop processes to enhance efficiency and profitability.
Labor and Profitability from Hotels to Restaurants
