Today I am chatting with founder of Wedding Dates and Wed Pro Ciara Crossan. Earlier this year Wedding Dates released their 2024 Wedding Industry Report and it was a great read. They surveyed over 1000 couples to find out more about the wedding planning landscape and discovered what frustrates them the most. In this episode I find out more about Ciara's journey and we digest the latest findings and how you can use that data in your own wedding business / venue. Download the 2024 UK Wedding Report Download the 2024 Ireland Wedding Report Find out more about Wedding Dates and Wed Pro Time Stamps: Using TikTok for Wedding Business (00:00:00) Ciara discusses using TikTok for sharing expertise, tips, and personalization in the wedding business. Introduction and Background (00:00:27) Becca introduces Ciara Crossan, CEO and founder of Wedding Dates, and discusses her background and the platform's growth. The Inception of Wedding Dates (00:01:58) Ciara shares the background and inception of Wedding Dates, including the idea's origin and early development. Challenges Faced as a Female Tech Founder (00:05:27) Ciara discusses the challenges she faced as a female tech founder and the resilience required to overcome them. Experience on Dragon's Den (00:09:03) Ciara shares her experience on the Dragon's Den TV show, highlighting the preparation and the positive impact it had on her. Hiring and Building a Team (00:13:07) Ciara discusses the challenges and benefits of hiring and building a team, emphasizing the importance of culture and longevity. Wedding Dates UK Industry Report (00:16:11) Ciara talks about the purpose and history of the industry report, explaining the motivation behind its creation. The survey and report (00:17:02) Ciara discusses the motivation behind conducting surveys and creating industry reports to share with wedding venues and suppliers. The importance of data (00:18:29) Ciara explains the significance of conducting separate reports for the UK and Ireland and the value of the data for understanding industry trends. Incentivising survey participation (00:20:00) Ciara reveals the strategy of offering a prize to incentivize couples to participate in the survey. Couples' feelings during wedding planning (00:21:04) Ciara discusses the surprising statistic that over 70% of couples felt underwhelmed during the wedding planning process and the opportunity it presents for wedding professionals. Common frustrations and challenges (00:26:04) Becca and Ciara discuss common frustrations reported by couples, such as pricing transparency and slow response times, and how wedding pros can address them. Resistance to change (00:29:58) Ciara explains the resistance to automation and price transparency as a fear of change and the importance of self-care in the industry. TikTok for Wedding Inspiration (00:33:16) Couples' use of TikTok for wedding inspiration and how businesses can utilize the platform effectively. Trust Factor in Wedding Businesses (00:34:18) The importance of trust in wedding businesses, particularly in relation to staff turnover in venues. Tech