2022 is proving to be a year of wedding comeback. With the end of the pandemic almost on our doorsteps, wedding tourism is booming across all destinations.
We just finished our 8th edition of the DWP Congress in Bali and boy what an experience it was! This year’s edition highlighted the wedding trends in destination and luxury weddings, connecting up to 500 wedding professionals under the theme of “To Infinity and Beyond Reviving, Restarting & Reigniting the Love for Weddings.” Together, over a period of 3 days, the Congress wrote the future of destination & luxury weddings and prepared ourselves for what’s coming in 2023.
Along with the support of the Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia and all the Regional & International Partners, the event was a huge success in bringing together the wedding industry under one roof.
In a constant effort to stay at the top of our game, educating and empowering our attendees, here are a few trends learned from the event!
Spotlight On Luxury
From breathtaking venues to exuberant decor to floral overdose to ‘never seen before’ experiences, planners are going the extra mile to make their couple’s wedding as luxe as it can be! As a part of the big comeback for destination weddings, couples are willing to go all out and spend more on curating personalized experiences in a larger-than-life way. During the congress, there were multiple sessions focusing on understanding the psyche and needs of luxury clients. From Pauline Brown, Former Chairman, Louis Vuitton’s session on “Redefining Luxury in a new era of experiences” to Lelian Chew, Founder, The Floral Atelier and The Wedding Atelier’s session on “Understanding the Psyche of Luxury Clients” to a panel session on Crazy Rich Asians, the attendees got a first-hand experience on what it takes to create million-dollar celebrations.
Importance of Making The Right Connections
Industry such as ours is based extensively on trust. Finding the right suppliers that you can rely upon has become the utmost priority for wedding experts. Yes, during the pandemic, the wedding industry relied on online communications, but now the need for face-to-face is back. The DWP Congress Bali was a perfect opportunity to connect face-to-face with suppliers from around the globe to meet the need of their clients in doing destination weddings. With more than 5000 meetings happening onsite, it accelerated the flow of destination weddings by conserving, converting and commencing business onsite.
Entertainment Takes A High Swing
Weddings have turned to be full-swing celebrations to celebrate with friends and families. A great entertainment score a 10 to have an absolutely good time with your near & dear ones. Showcasing regional and international experiences, Orange Productions created themed entertainment throughout the event to keep the guests entertained. Injecting entertainment into every ceremony is important, it helps maintain the flow. ONEmpire band stole the show at Gala Night along with a performance by Lydia Rose Music. We had Bali Wedding Association who gave a fun time to attendees with their engaging team games.
Teamwork Makes Dream Work
David Beahm from the USA gave a very interesting closing keynote on how to get a team that works with you and not for you. From delegating and streamlining to creating an environment of trust and transparency, he made us realize the importance of being human and how together, we can create an ambiance where we not only thrive but flourish together. Vandana Mohan, Founder of Wedding Design Company who creates breathtaking celebrations for Indian celebrities deep-dived on how to stay relevant in the wedding industry in a hybrid world post-pandemic.
Up-ing Your Social Media Game
It’s all about the social media presence now. How active are you to post content, how frequently you post and how relevant your content is; plays a big role in getting you business. During the session by Wendy El-Khoury, Founder of Wedded Wonderland, we learned how to use social media tools to reach out to niche audiences and grow business globally and regionally. With an exponential rise in Instagram usage for business growth, Kelly Mortimer, #1 expert in Wedding Sales, UK explained how we can use DMs to sell more. She uncovered the secrets of exactly why this method works so powerfully in today’s market.
Creating A Wow Destination Wedding Experience
Through DWP regional and international boardroom sessions, attendees further understood the process of creating a destination wedding experience from the pros. Key points of discussion included: supply chain challenges, improving cross-cultural communication, life hacks for dealing with local vendors in the destination and pricing & commissions.
Sustainability At Its Core
The wedding industry remains fraught with waste, but a growing contingent of brides and grooms is pushing for more sustainable changes, from the way they invite guests to the food they serve and the clothes they wear. The entire theme of the conference revolved around going green and using recyclable products. From decor and furniture to consciously consuming the food and using organic products, the 3-day congress placed sustainability as the top-most priority.
Work Hard, Party Harder
DWP Congress 2022 was a strong reminder that in the world where we all are constantly grinding, and consistently working towards achieving our goals, take a moment to appreciate how far you have come; not just in your career, but as a person as well. We all have changed and grown after the pandemic, so it’s time we take a bow to ourselves to make it successfully to the other end! Pat yourself, celebrate and seize the day!
We may not have it all together but together we have it all. We are one big family and DWP Congress Bali strengthened the connection the wedding industry has, with 70+ countries joining the congress. The dates of the 9th edition have been announced with the support of Qatar Tourism. Save your dates for yet another edition of connections, collaborations and celebrations.
14th-16th March, Qatar.
Email info@dwpinsider.com to book your slots.
All Images credit: @ptaufiqphotography
