An investigation into the effects that the social media platforms Facebook and Pinterest have on the planning stage of weddings

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to identify to what extent social media is impacting how people plan their weddings. Social media has become more and more popular over the years, therefore this study researches how the growth may be impacting the wedding planning process and by looking into how it is influencing peoples’ decisions on different wedding elements. To concentrate the study further, it focuses on the two social media platforms Facebook and Pinterest. These two platforms were chosen as Facebook is the most used social media site and Pinterest is well-known for wedding related inspiration. In order to discover the extent that social media is impacting peoples’ decisions during the planning stage, a literature review was comprised of existing research surrounding the topic area which then aided the construction of the primary research. Subjects covered in this chapter include; social media and the psychological impacts it has on decision making, weddings and their association with social media, Facebook and Pinterest and event planning. Data collection was done in the form of two questionnaires, one for married people and one for people who are currently planning their wedding. The first was circulated online through Facebook and the latter was distributed at a bridal show. The results from both questionnaires were then compared against the literature review in order to decipher any key findings. It was found that social medias influence on decisions during this process is more evident on the betrothed than it was on people already married, thus showing signs that the growth of social media is impacting the wedding planning process. It was also found that both Facebook and Pinterest are influencing decisions made during the process, but in their own different ways. For example, Facebook proved to be more useful at aiding people find vendors/suppliers, whereas Pinterest seems to be used for inspiration on smaller elements of the wedding. Finally, the results showed that social media is a useful planning tool however, it is putting too much pressure on those getting married due to the rising need for perfection and uniqueness.