Thanks to the Supreme Court’s historic 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, there’s no better time to be in the wedding business. Don’t believe me? Check out the stats we pulled together (“LGBTQ Wedding Jewelry: The Breakdown”), a result of our annual collaboration with The Knot, whose 2016 LGBTQ Weddings Study offers a clear indication of the same-sex community’s spending power.
Not only are same-sex couples devoting as much money to rings as heterosexual couples (men in the LGBTQ study plunked down an average of $5,719, while men in the 2015 Real Weddings Study spent $5,978), but they are also embracing matrimonial traditions, such as asking a family’s permission for a partner’s hand in marriage, says The Knot executive editor Kristen Maxwell Cooper. Check out our Q&A with her (“The LGBTQ Factor”) for additional insights into the study and wedding trends in general.
Then, contributor Martha C. White speaks to retailers around the country about the state of the wedding jewelry industry. From the styles that rule at the retail counter (customized, colorful, and unconventional) to the most popular mode of promotion (social media—duh!), her findings shed light on what retailers need to consider if they hope to endear themselves to brides and grooms.
The key takeaway? “Everyone is looking for something superpersonal,” Jennifer Gandia, co-owner of Greenwich St. Jewelers in New York City, tells JCK. “The amount of customization we do today is off the charts.”
We close out the supplement with “The Next Best Ring,” a fantastic portfolio of engagement rings and wedding bands for every type of client, from the guy who digs a dash of bling to the gal obsessed with fancy shapes and colors. It’s our way of underscoring the importance of being all-inclusive.
(Photograph by Steven Simko)