So how do you think Gen Y would like their lives to look? What do you think they find disturbing about the world as they know it? You may be surprised to see what they are thinking.
I read a very interesting article about Gen Y this month, Eyeing Their Futures, Kids Today Turn Back. You can read the article here It seems that they are longing for a simpler time. This is the generation that was told they should do it all, excel at everything. They were told that in their safe shiny protected world they could and should have it all. No matter how badly they played soccer they still got a trophy. The world was their oyster and by golly they had better take. They were over marketed to and over scheduled.
Now they just want to live in the life showcased in “That 70’s Show” where you could live simply and just hang out, and be OK with that. Hmm interesting.
The article goes on to hypothesize that this may be a reaction to both 9-11 and the current economic situation. That their shiny, have it all world has been rocked at its very foundation; much as the generation that experienced the Great Depression was changed. I don’t know if it is all that, but I think there may be some basis to it.
I do think that this generation has been fundamentally changed by recent events. I think as a whole they are more cautious, particularly when it comes to money. Do you realize that one of the trendiest places for kids to shop today is Goodwill? Go into a big one on a Saturday and it’s packed.
How does this reflect on our market? I think you are seeing it in a call for less formal, more casual intimate weddings. I think you are seeing it in smaller guest lists and more DIY and yes, in smaller budgets. They are placing more emphasis on their future lives together than the wedding.
I don’t think these changes are temporary either; rather I think they will have impact for quite a few years to come. Here is why. In the first year that our economy started to take a hit brides were in denial about their budgets and what their dollar would get them. Today, they are, by and large, approaching wedding planning with adjusted expectations. I didn’t say lowered expectations, just adjusted. They are finding that they can have as much if not more meaning on less show. That is what is different; meaning is deeper. What hasn’t changed except to be more crucial to them is the requirement that their specific needs be met. In short, they are becoming more demanding particularly in the area of customer service. That is only making our jobs more difficult. On the upside, it may help to weed out the less than professionals in our industry. There is always an upside, it just may not be as pretty.
What you can do as wedding professionals is to understand that this generation has some heavy underlying fear that even they may not recognize. Use that knowledge to ease those fears and make them feel safe and confident in their decisions. You have to be a combination of their hero and their comfort food. Wow that sounds a lot like their parents doesn’t it? All they while being hip and cool and one of them? No, their hip cool friends need to refer you, you just need to be you.
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