In our 2019 Arkansas Bride Poll, we asked real brides every little thing about their wedding planning process.
Now, we’re sharing all that valuable insight with y’all in hopes that it’ll make your planning process just a little bit easier!
MOST POPULAR LENGTH OF ENGAGEMENT
10.5 MONTHS
The average length of engagement
MOST POPULAR ANSWERS
15+ MONTHS
(21% of brides)
12 MONTHS
(14% of brides)
3-5 MONTHS
(7% of brides)
MOST POPULAR MONTHS FOR WEDDINGS IN ARKANSAS
26 - Average age of Arkansas bride
28 - Average groom age
174 - Average total guests
FAVORITE SPLURGE
#1 The Dress
#2 Photography
#3 Venue
MOST POPULAR CITIES TO GET MARRIED IN
MOST POPULAR HONEYMOONS
29% of couples were gifted their honeymoon trips.
47% of couples spent less than $5,000 on their honeymoons.
VENUES
From our survey, we discovered more brides are having their ceremonies at an event venue rather than a church or private residence.
We also found more brides tend to have their ceremony and reception at the same location (77%) rather than two different locations (23%).
About 1/3 of the brides we surveyed spent $5,000 or more on their venues.
$4,431
Average spent on venue
THE BUDGET
Budget range of most brides:
$15,000 - $20,000
62% used rental services
(tables, chairs, dance floors, tents, lighting, pipe and drape, etc.)
WEDDING STYLE
POPULAR RECEPTION MUSIC
58% - DJ
18% - Solo Musician
6% - Dance Band
$2,510
Average spent on photography
52%
hired a videographer
(Another 15% wish they had!)
60%
of brides said they did a first look.
63% sent save-the-dates prior to invitations
WEDDING PLANNING
55%
Hired a day-of coordinator
41%
Did not hire a planner or day-of coordinator
14%
Hired day-of coordinator and wedding planner
12%
A planner was included with my venue
4%
Hired a wedding planner only
THE WEDDING PARTY
The majority of brides (42%) asked their bridesmaids to wear the same dress.
38% of brides let their bridesmaids choose their own gowns but all in the same color
20% of brides allowed them to choose what they wore.
The most popular number of bridesmaids: 5
The most popular number of groomsmen: 5
Over 43% of brides spent $1,000+ on flowers.
$1,503
Average spent on florals
TOP 5 MOST POPULAR WEDDING COLORS
WHITE/IVORY
NAVY
PINK
GREEN
BLUSH
MOST POPULAR WEDDING TRANSPORTATION
1. Trolley
2. Vintage Car and Limo (Tie)
3. Party Bus
WHERE ARKANSAS BRIDES FOUND INSPIRATION
In print, 75% of brides reached for Arkansas Bride when planning their wedding.
Stephanie Highfill even said:
“Truly, Arkansas Bride is the only relevant bridal magazine in the area.”
When it came to online inspiration, 58% of Arkansas brides turned to TheKnot.com, followed by Pinterest with 16% of responses.
THE TOP 5 HARDEST PLANNING DECISIONS FOR ARKANSAS BRIDES
1.
Nailing down the guest list
2.
Choosing a venue
3.
Picking décor
4.
Planning a menu
5.
Selecting florals
THE DRESSES
10 Gowns
The average number of dresses tried on before brides found "the one"
80%
of brides tried on at least 4 dresses before finding "the one"
$1,468
Average wedding gown cost
27%
spent more than $2,000
62%
of brides spent over $1,000 on their gowns
45%
of brides only went to one bridal boutique to find their gowns while 38% of brides went to 2-3
GROOM & GROOMSMEN FASHION
JEWELRY
57% of grooms purchased the wedding band at the same jewelry store where they picked out the engagement ring.
How Grooms Chose the Ring
37%
Bride gave hints, but groom bought ring on his own
36%
Groom picked ring out himself
27%
Brides picked out ring with groom
WEDDING PRESENTS
Most popular gifts to give grooms were:
• Watches
• Boudoir photos
• Cufflinks
Most popular gifts to give brides were:
• Bibles
• Jewelry
• Purses
BEAUTY
Most brides (78%) got their makeup professionally done on their big day.
How Brides Got Ready for Their Big Day
CATERING
The most popular catering option was a buffet.
The majority of brides opted not to serve alcohol at their weddings but those that did went with beer and wine instead of an open bar.
90% of brides opted for a traditional wedding cake.
Most brides spent an average of $506 on their wedding desserts.
REGISTRY
Arkansas Bride’s favorite registry items
| 1. Dishes/China/Pots & Pans | |||
| 2. | KitchenAid Mixer | 6. | Vacuum |
| 3. | Cash/Gift Cards | 7. | Crockpot |
| 4. | Kitchen Gadgets/Tools/Knives | 8. | Keurig |
| 5. | Bedding | 9. | Monogrammed Household Items |
Honorable mention: Roomba & Ninja
