An exploratory study into the motivations behind the consumption habits of brides in Ireland in the lead up to their wedding day.

Buckley, Tara (2014) An exploratory study into the motivations behind the consumption habits of brides in Ireland in the lead up to their wedding day. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

An exploratory study into the motivations behind the consumption habits of brides in Ireland in the lead up to their wedding day.

This research looked at the different platforms in which a bride can be reached whilst planning for a wedding. Generally, purchases for a wedding are significant and require a considerable amount of research and planning. This thesis aimed to investigate the main motivations behind the purchase decisions that a bride makes in the lead up to her wedding. Three main areas were investigated: 1) online wedding forums and the emphasis brides place on advice and opinions shared there, 2) rituals and the role they play in bridal consumption and 3) other influences on decision making such as the values placed on the opinions of the bride’s family and friends and the role they play in consumption habits. This was a quantitative study, where 202 brides were contacted via an online forum and asked to complete a questionnaire on their decision making habits whilst wedding planning. Findings revealed that participants place much emphasis on online wedding platforms. Rituals and traditional weddings remain important aspects of wedding planning, with particular importance placed on the ritual of wearing a wedding dress. The opinions of others was discovered to be of less importance within this study than the opinions of the bride and the fiancé, which is interesting as it disagrees with some of the notable literature available. These findings have implications for marketers as they determine the importance of online wedding forums as a means for contacting brides, and also reiterate the importance of the marketing of wedding goods as part of a ritual.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Marketing > Consumer Behaviour
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Science in Marketing
Depositing User:	Claire Wallnutt
Date Deposited:	22 Nov 2014 09:52
Last Modified:	22 Nov 2014 09:52
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/1825

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