Consumer Perceptions and Pricing Practices for Weddings

Abstract

Weddings represent a specific consumption experience with unusual pressures (financial and emotional). Societal pressures of perfection and the experience itself, including conspicuous consumption, experience, and credence qualities, create a unique consumption and pricing environment. Study 1 provides evidence of a two-tier retail pricing approach for “regular” and “wedding” items. Study 2 suggests this phenomenon has been propagated by a tendency to attach elevated importance to wedding products. This paper documents the practice of elevated wedding pricing and offers insight into why the practice is tolerated and perpetuated.