Crafting a Product Vision for a Hospitality SaaS Startup – Part 1

From Research to Action: Defining the Problem with Data

If you've been following this series, you know I’m working on building a wedding venue SaaS product. If you haven’t seen the earlier discussions, check out these:

• Episode 1: Turning an Idea into a Product
• Episode 2: How We Dig Into What People Really Need

In the previous discussions, we explored market research and stakeholder insights, but now we need to go deeper to define a clear product vision. This starts with a well-researched problem statement—the foundation of a strong vision.

A compelling product vision includes the following components:

1. Problem Statement – Clearly defines why the solution is needed for a specific user group.
2. Opportunity & Rationale – Quantifies market opportunity using TAM, SAM, and SOM analysis.
3. Solution Overview – Highlights key features that will drive adoption.
4. Customer Use Case – Explains why the target user would choose this product.
5. Competitive Landscape – Maps out competitors and key differentiators.
6. Unique Differentiators – Defines what sets the solution apart.
7. Strategic Edge – Explains why now is the right time and why our team is best suited to build it.
8. Business Case – Projects development costs vs. expected revenue for ROI justification.
9. Measurement Plan – Establishes KPIs and OKRs to track success.
10. Implementation Plan – Lays out a timeline and resource needs.
11. Governance Model – Identifies key stakeholders.
12. Operating Rhythm – Defines team collaboration cadence to ensure execution stays on track.
13. Next Steps & Approvals – Clarifies requirements for funding, stakeholder buy-in, and launch readiness.
14. Thank You Slide – Includes contact details for follow-up.

Why a Product Vision is Critical

A well-defined product vision aligns teams, attracts stakeholders, and ensures strategic execution. Here’s why it’s essential:

1. Provides Direction and Focus

A product vision acts as a North Star, ensuring that every decision aligns with long-term objectives. It prevents teams from getting distracted by short-term trends and helps prioritize efforts that drive meaningful progress.

2. Drives Strategic Decision-Making

By defining the “why” behind the product, the vision enables informed trade-offs. It helps teams prioritize features, roadmap investments, and market opportunities with confidence.

3. Aligns Teams and Stakeholders

A strong vision fosters collaboration across engineering, marketing, sales, and customer success by keeping everyone focused on a shared mission. This alignment streamlines execution and improves cross-functional communication.

4. Enhances Customer Connection

A great vision is customer-driven. When users feel that a product aligns with their needs, it builds trust, loyalty, and advocacy.

5. Facilitates Better Roadmapping

A product vision guides the roadmap, ensuring every milestone and feature contributes to long-term objectives. It prevents scattered development efforts and misaligned priorities.

6. Differentiates in Competitive Markets

A clear vision helps the product stand out by communicating a unique value proposition, resonating with customers and stakeholders alike.

7. Prevents Common Pitfalls

Without a strong vision, teams risk feature factory syndrome—shipping random features instead of solving core user problems. A defined vision keeps efforts focused on meaningful outcomes.

8. Inspires and Motivates Teams

Beyond functionality, a vision fuels purpose. It connects the team to a greater mission, energizing them to push through obstacles and innovate.

What We'll Cover in This Article

In this article, I’ll walk you through how to conduct user research, analyze survey data, and transform it into a problem definition—the foundation of a strong product vision.

Specifically, we will cover:

• How to conduct a PESTLE analysis to uncover market trends.
• How to map stakeholders to identify key decision-makers.
• How to create an effective survey to collect real, actionable data.
• How to extract findings and synthesize them into key insights.
• How to review the insights thus far for strengths and gaps in our existing artifacts.

Step 1: PESTLE Analysis–Understanding the Market

What is a PESTLE Analysis?

A PESTLE Analysis is a framework for evaluating external macro factors that could impact product success. It stands for:

• Political (Laws, regulations, zoning policies)
• Economic (Spending trends, inflation, financing options)
• Social (Consumer behavior, cultural shifts, preferences)
• Technological (Emerging tech, automation, digital trends)
• Legal (Compliance, tax laws, contract restrictions)
• Environmental (Sustainability, climate risks, eco-friendly demands)

Why It Matters

A PESTLE analysis isn’t just academic—it’s the first line of defense against investing in features that could become obsolete due to regulatory shifts, changing consumer behavior, or technological disruptions.

Our Approach to PESTLE Analysis

I conducted the PESTLE analysis in two stages to ensure depth and accuracy:

1. First Pass: Focus on broad trends to identify key strategic shifts.
2. Second Pass: Dive deeper with data points and real-world evidence to validate insights.

First Pass: Key Insights from Initial PESTLE Analysis

The first pass of the PESTLE analysis provided a high-level view of macro factors affecting the wedding venue market. Below are the key strategic shifts we uncovered and their potential implications for our wedding venue SaaS product:

1. Micro-Wedding Dominance
2. Vendor Ecosystem Fragmentation
3. Sustainability as Table Stakes

Second Pass: Deep Dive with Data Sources

After identifying these high-level trends, I conducted a deeper analysis using market research tools like Perplexity to gather specific data points and industry forecasts. Here’s what I found across each PESTLE category:

Political Factors

Increased Regulation of Event Spaces:

• Insight: Local governments are tightening zoning laws and noise ordinances, especially for outdoor venues.
• Implication: Venue owners will need compliance tracking tools to ensure their operations align with evolving regulations, particularly for outdoor ceremonies

Data Privacy Requirements:

• Insight: New consumer data protection laws require venues to handle customer information securely.
• Implication: Our SaaS platform must offer GDPR-compliant data handling for guest information, payments, and personal preferences.

Economic Factors

Inflation and Budget Constraints:

• Insight: 85% of engaged couples report that inflation affects their wedding plans, pushing them to reduce guest counts or seek cost-effective venues.
• Implication: Venues must highlight cost-saving packages and transparent pricing to align with shrinking budgets.

Changing Spending Patterns:

• Insight: Couples allocate over 30% of their wedding budgets to the venue.
• Implication: Providing dynamic pricing models and customizable packages could increase conversion rates for budget-conscious couples.

Social Factors

Shift Toward Intimate Celebrations:

• Insight: The rise of micro-weddings reflects a shift toward personalized, small-scale experiences.
• Implication: Venues should offer flexible configurations and personalization features to appeal to couples seeking intimate experiences.

Increased Family Involvement:

• Insight: Decision-making power often rests with mothers of the bride (37% have veto power) and wedding planners (28% influence referrals).
• Implication: A multi-user planning dashboard allowing input from brides, families, and planners would enhance decision-making transparency and streamline collaboration.

Sustainability Expectations:

• Insight: 83% of couples prioritize eco-friendly venues and expect carbon tracking.
• Implication: Integrating green certifications and sustainability reports could boost venue appeal among eco-conscious consumers.

Technological Factors

Demand for Digital Tools:

• Insight: 72% of couples begin their venue search online and expect instant booking options.
• Implication: Venues must adopt self-service digital tours, online booking capabilities, and dynamic availability calendars to meet these expectations.

API Integration Needs:

• Insight: The fragmented wedding vendor ecosystem presents an opportunity for integration.
• Implication: An API-first platform could centralize vendor collaboration, offering seamless integrations with payment processors, catering services, and event logistics.

Legal Factors

Contractual Complexity:

• Insight: Couples prefer simple, transparent contracts but venues often use legal-heavy agreements.
• Implication: Our platform should offer automated contract templates with clear payment terms (e.g., 50% upfront, 50% before the wedding).

Data Compliance Requirements:

• Insight: With rising concerns over guest privacy, venues must follow GDPR and CCPA standards.
• Implication: Our SaaS platform must provide secure data storage and consent-based guest management features.

Environmental Factors

Climate Change and Weather Risk:

• Insight: Weather-related concerns influence 40% of couples to seek indoor backup options for outdoor weddings.
• Implication: Providing weather tracking and indoor contingency management could reduce cancellations and increase customer confidence.

Sustainability as a Differentiator:

• Insight: 83% of couples expect sustainable practices, and Gen Z is particularly sensitive to environmental impact.
• Implication: Offering carbon calculators, eco-friendly venue certifications, and paperless planning could differentiate our product.

Key Takeaways from PESTLE Analysis

Economic Pressures Are Driving Micro-Weddings: 58% of weddings in 2025 will host fewer than 75 guests—modular venue solutions are essential.

Sustainability Is No Longer Optional: 83% of couples penalize venues without carbon tracking—integrating emissions calculators will address this.

Digital Transformation Is a Competitive Edge: Venues need API-first architectures to connect with fragmented vendor ecosystems—our platform will deliver this functionality.

By leveraging these insights, our product will address stakeholder needs, adapt to external forces, and future-proof operations against evolving market dynamics.

In the next section, we’ll dive into stakeholder mapping—analyzing decision-making dynamics and identifying the most influential players in the wedding venue ecosystem.

Step 2: Stakeholder Mapping – The Hidden Hierarchy

Now that we understand the macro forces shaping the wedding venue industry through our PESTLE analysis, we need to get granular and identify the key players who influence decision-making. To do this, I use the Stakeholder Salience Matrix.

The Stakeholder Salience Matrix

The Salience framework determines how prominent or influential a stakeholder is within an industry. This model categorizes stakeholders based on three key attributes:

1. Power – Their ability to influence decisions.
2. Legitimacy – Their rightful involvement in the process.
3. Urgency – How pressing their concerns are.

By mapping these attributes, we visualize seven distinct stakeholder groups with three levels of priority:

Priority 3: Low-Involvement Stakeholders

These stakeholders have only one salient attribute, meaning they require minimal attention but should be monitored in case their influence changes.

• Dormant Stakeholders – Have significant power but are not currently engaged. They should be tracked for future involvement.
• Discretionary Stakeholders – Have legitimate concerns (e.g., sustainability advocates) but lack power or urgency to demand immediate action.
• Demanding Stakeholders – Are vocal about their concerns but lack sufficient legitimacy or influence to drive significant change.

Priority 2: Medium-Involvement Stakeholders

These stakeholders have two salient attributes, meaning they benefit from regular communication to ensure alignment with the project.

• Dominant Stakeholders – Have authority and legitimacy (e.g., regulatory bodies) and require consistent communication to maintain compliance.
• Dangerous Stakeholders – Have high power and urgency but lack legitimacy. If not managed carefully, they could pose risks.
• Dependent Stakeholders – Rely on others (e.g., local businesses) to advocate for their needs but are directly impacted by venue operations.

Priority 1: High-Involvement Stakeholders

These stakeholders possess all three attributes—power, legitimacy, and urgency—making them the core decision-makers. They require continuous engagement.

• Definitive Stakeholders – Hold ultimate decision-making power (e.g., venue owners, key customers). Their needs should be the top priority.

Engagement Strategies Based on Stakeholder Priority

Priority 1 (Definitive Stakeholders):

• Engage closely with regular updates.
• Involve them in decision-making processes.
• Address concerns proactively to maintain alignment.

Priority 2 (Dominant, Dangerous, Dependent Stakeholders):

• Maintain consistent communication.
• Address concerns before they escalate.
• Ensure their interests align with the product roadmap.

Priority 3 (Dormant, Discretionary, Demanding Stakeholders):

• Monitor them periodically.
• Provide updates when necessary.
• Be prepared to engage if their influence increases.

Applying the Salience Model: The Wedding Venue Stakeholder Power Map

In our research, we identified three key stakeholders in the wedding venue selection process:

1. Brides (Primary Decision-Maker) – 68% influence
2. Mother of the Bride (Veto Power) – 37% influence
3. Wedding Planner (Referral Power) – 28% influence

These stakeholders hold varying degrees of influence in the decision-making process. Using the Salience Matrix, we can classify them as follows:

Key Insights from the Stakeholder Power Map

Brides Are the Core Audience

• Our product features, UX, and messaging must be designed with brides’ needs in mind.
• Brides prioritize cost, venue aesthetics, and convenience—these factors should drive product development.

Mothers of the Bride Have Veto Power

• While brides are the primary decision-makers, 37% of mothers hold veto power over venue selection.
• Our marketing strategy should include content targeted toward families who contribute financially.

Wedding Planners Influence Referrals

• Planners directly impact which venues brides consider.
• Providing tools for planners—such as easy scheduling and commission tracking—could drive adoption.

Avoiding the Common Stakeholder Research Pitfall

Most people approach stakeholder research backward—they either:

1. Rely solely on third-party research and never conduct their own.
2. Start granular by interviewing Priority 1 stakeholders first, then validate insights with surveys.

This is the wrong approach.

The Right Approach for Step 3:

Step A: Start with publicly available data on Priority 1 stakeholders.

Step B: Identify gaps where further insight is needed.

Step C: Conduct large-scale surveys to validate pain points.

Step D: Use qualitative interviews with Priority 1 stakeholders to deepen understanding.

By following this structured approach, we ensure that product development is data-driven and stakeholder needs are accurately captured.

Next Steps: Validating Stakeholder Needs with Data

Now that we have mapped our key decision-makers, the next step is to gather hard data on what truly drives their venue selection process.

In the following section, we’ll conduct a large-scale survey of engaged women in the U.S. to identify:

• What factors influence their venue choice
• Their budget allocation for venues
• Their expectations from venue owners
• Pain points that venue owners must address

By the end of this research, we will have a data-driven problem statement, forming the foundation for our wedding venue SaaS product vision.

Step 3, Part A: Understanding Venue Owner Market Pressures with Publicity Available Data

With macro trends (PESTLE) analyzed and key stakeholders mapped, the next step in our data-driven approach is reviewing publicly available data to identify the biggest challenges faced by wedding venue owners.

Through market research and direct conversations with venue owners, we’ve identified five critical challenges shaping the industry today. These challenges influence venue operations, pricing strategies, and customer acquisition, forming the foundation of our SaaS product vision.

1. Lower Budgets and Declining Guest Counts

The wedding industry is seeing a notable shift toward smaller, budget-conscious celebrations, with micro-weddings (fewer than 75 guests) becoming the dominant format:

• 58% of 2025 weddings will have fewer than 75 guests, a shift from previous years when larger weddings were the norm.
• 85% of engaged couples report that inflation is affecting their wedding plans. Many are adjusting their budgets by:Trimming guest lists to maintain quality over quantity.Seeking all-inclusive venues to avoid unexpected costs.

?? Implication for Venue Owners:

• Venues must optimize spaces for smaller, more intimate events instead of relying on large-scale weddings.
• Offering modular, configurable spaces can provide flexibility and attract a wider range of clients.

2. Intensifying Competition Among Wedding Venues

With more wedding venues entering the market, competition has increased significantly, putting downward pressure on pricing:

• The number of wedding venues has grown, yet bookings per venue have decreased compared to peak years like 2022.
• The rise in weekday weddings (Fridays and Thursdays) indicates that couples are seeking cost-effective alternatives to traditional weekend ceremonies.

?? Implication for Venue Owners:

• Venues must differentiate themselves beyond just location—offering technology-driven solutions, unique experiences, or all-inclusive services will help maintain competitiveness.
• Implementing dynamic pricing models based on demand fluctuations (e.g., weekend vs. weekday pricing) could improve revenue.

3. Marketing Challenges – The Lead Generation Struggle

Despite the increasing number of engaged couples searching for venues, many venue owners struggle to generate consistent leads:

• A large percentage of venues spend less than $1,000 per month on marketing, yet report minimal returns.
• Social media dominance has heightened expectations—48% of couples say they struggle to align their budget with the “picture-perfect” weddings they see online.

?? Implication for Venue Owners:

• Venues must invest in digital marketing, including SEO-optimized websites, social media presence, and strategic paid advertising.
• Platforms that help streamline online bookings, enhance social proof (reviews), and showcase unique offerings can improve visibility and conversion rates.

4. Rising Costs – Financial Pressures on Venue Operations

The cost of hosting weddings continues to rise, placing pressure on both couples and venues:

• The average wedding cost has risen to $36,000 in 2025, up from $33,000 in 2024.
• Venue owners face higher overhead costs due to inflation, increasing staff wages, property maintenance, and catering expenses.

?? Implication for Venue Owners:

• Venues need to justify higher prices by enhancing the perceived value of their offerings (e.g., bundled services, better guest experiences).
• Automation and operational efficiency tools (e.g., smart scheduling, cost tracking) can help venues reduce waste and optimize profitability.

5. Evolving Trends – Changing Couple Preferences

Couples are increasingly prioritizing ambiance, sustainability, and unique experiences when selecting a wedding venue:

• Built-in ambiance is a key factor in decision-making—couples prefer rustic farms, vineyards, or historic estates that require minimal decoration.
• Sustainability is no longer optional—83% of couples favor eco-friendly venues, and many penalize those that lack carbon tracking.

?? Implication for Venue Owners:

• Venues can appeal to eco-conscious couples by showcasing sustainability efforts (solar energy, waste reduction, carbon footprint tracking).
• Offering unique, all-inclusive wedding packages that reduce decision fatigue will help attract modern couples seeking convenience.

Validating Findings: Direct Conversations with Venue Owners

To confirm these industry-wide trends, I spent several weeks meeting with wedding venue owners to understand their perspective on 2025.

Key Takeaways from Venue Owners:

Venue owners need a solution that enables them to:

• Increase Bookings – Drive higher occupancy rates despite a shrinking guest count.
• Decrease Costs – Optimize resource management and reduce unnecessary expenses.
• Enhance the Wedding Experience – Provide a seamless and stress-free planning process for couples.
• Maintain a Competitive Edge – Stand out in a crowded market by offering technology-driven advantages.

However, venue owners alone aren’t enough—to create a successful product, we need to deepen our understanding of the other Priority 1 stakeholders. Specifically we need to address the gaps in publicly available data.

Step 3, Part B: What Publicly Available Data Doesn’t Tell Us and What We Need to Bridge the Gaps

Now that we’ve analyzed publicly available data on venue owner challenges, the next step is to identify the gaps where further insights are needed. This ensures that we don’t rely solely on third-party research but instead validate assumptions with real-world data.

Key Gaps in Public Data on Venue Owners

While industry reports and market research highlight broad trends, they lack detailed, venue-specific insights into:

• Venue Adaptability – How are venue owners adjusting their offerings in response to declining guest counts and rising costs?
• Marketing Effectiveness – What marketing strategies actually work for venues struggling with lead generation?
• Operational Efficiency – How are venues using technology to optimize costs and streamline bookings?
• Competitive Positioning – What specific features or services are helping venues stand out in a crowded market?

Without these answers, any solution we design risks being incomplete or misaligned with venue owner needs. To fill these gaps, direct input from venue owners through qualitative interviews will be essential in later stages.

Defining the Next Research Focus: Brides & Families

Beyond venue owners, the other Priority 1 stakeholders are:

• Brides – The primary decision-makers, responsible for choosing the venue.
• Families of the Bride – Often hold financial or veto power over the final decision.

While public data outlines broad industry trends, it does not provide granular insights into:

• Decision-Making Factors – What specific criteria do brides use when selecting a venue
• Budget Allocation – How do couples distribute their venue budget, and what pricing models work best?
• Family Influence – To what extent do parents or other family members impact the final choice?
• Service Expectations – What amenities, packages, or digital tools do brides expect from a venue?

These unknowns represent critical gaps in our research. Without answering these questions, we cannot effectively design a SaaS solution that meets real customer needs.

Next Steps: Conducting a Large-Scale Survey

To bridge these gaps, our next step is Step C of the Right Approach—conducting a large-scale survey to validate bride and family pain points.

In the next section, we’ll launch this survey to answer:

• What factors influence venue selection?
• How much are couples willing to spend?
• What are their must-have features in a venue?
• How do families influence the final decision?

By combining publicly available data with direct survey insights, we can develop a data-driven problem statement that ensures our product solves real pain points rather than just following industry assumptions.

Step 3, Part C: Conducting a Large-Scale Survey to Validate Pain Points

Now that we've identified gaps in publicly available data, it's time to validate assumptions with direct input from our Priority 1 stakeholders: brides and their families.

Survey Methodology

To gain a deeper understanding of what engaged couples prioritize when selecting a wedding venue, we conducted a large-scale survey of engaged women across the U.S.

Survey Details:

• Target Audience: Engaged women in the U.S.
• Survey Size: Large national panel
• Goal: Identify bride and family decision-making factors when booking a venue

Below is the full list of survey questions and the majority responses from participants.

Key Insights from the Survey & Recommendations for Venue Owners

From this data, we can extract seven key insights that are critical for venue owners to address:

1. Budget and Value Considerations

?? Insight:

• 40% of respondents have a wedding budget of $20,000–$29,999.
• 30% plan to allocate more than 30% of their total budget to the venue.
• 70% prioritize cost or value for money as the most important factor when choosing a venue.

? Recommendation:

• Venue owners should clearly communicate pricing details and highlight included services to justify costs.

2. Venue Preferences & Backup Plans

?? Insight:

• 100% prefer outdoor venues but require an indoor backup (60%).
• 50% want a temperature range of 71–80°F for comfort.

? Recommendation:

• Venues should emphasize both their outdoor features and indoor contingency options in marketing.

3. Guest Experience & Logistics

?? Insight:

• 80% say travel distance affects attendance.
• 40% expect more than 75% of guests to need overnight accommodations.

? Recommendation:

• Venues should highlight nearby accommodations or lodging partnerships.

4. Planning Services & Coordination

?? Insight:

• 40% want full-service planning; 50% expect services like setup/teardown and guest coordination.

? Recommendation:

• Venues should offer bundled planning services or partner with experienced planners.

5. Seasonal and Timing Preferences

?? Insight:

• 40% prefer March-May for weddings.
• 50% plan weddings 12-18 months in advance and want to tour venues within the same timeframe.

? Recommendation:

• Venues should market early booking promotions and offer virtual tours to attract early planners.

6. Decision-Making Factors

?? Insight:

• 50% say cost is the top reason they wouldn’t book a venue.
• 40% cite weather concerns as a potential barrier.

? Recommendation:

• Venues should offer pricing transparency and clearly communicate weather contingency plans.

Final Steps: Refining Our Problem Statement with Qualitative Interviews

With both venue owner and bride pain points validated, our final step in the research process is to conduct qualitative interviews with Priority 1 stakeholders—brides and their families.

Step 3D: Conducting Qualitative Interviews to Deepen Understanding

Our final step in the research process is to conduct qualitative interviews with Priority 1 stakeholders—brides and their families. While the large-scale survey provided statistical validation of venue selection trends, it does not capture the emotional drivers, decision-making nuances, or post-booking expectations that truly define the wedding venue experience.

To fill these gaps, we will conduct one-on-one interviews to explore:

• How brides emotionally connect with venues
• What hidden pain points exist in the venue booking experience
• How technology, sustainability, and vendor integration influence decisions
• What venues can do to improve the post-booking experience

The qualitative findings will provide rich, in-depth insights to complement the survey data, allowing us to create a fully informed product vision for our wedding venue SaaS solution.

Evaluation of Existing Survey Questions

Before crafting the discussion guide for interviews, it’s important to evaluate the strengths and gaps in our existing survey.

Strengths of the Survey Questions

Budget and Cost Transparency

• The survey effectively identified how much couples are willing to spend on venues and how they allocate their wedding budget.
• We learned that 70% of brides prioritize cost/value for money and that 30% allocate more than 30% of their budget to the venue.

Venue Preferences & Planning Details

• We now know that 100% of brides prefer outdoor venues with an indoor backup option.
• 50% prefer March-May weddings and want to book 12-18 months in advance.

Guest Logistics & Planning Services

• 80% of brides consider travel distance a key factor.
• 40% expect more than 75% of their guests to need overnight accommodations.

Decision-Making Factors

• 50% say cost is the main reason they wouldn’t book a venue, and 40% cite weather concerns.
• Brides highly value familiar venue coordinators over independent planners.

Gaps in the Survey Questions

While the survey captured key decision-making criteria, it lacked insights into:

Digital Tools & Booking Behavior

• How do brides use wedding planning apps, venue websites, or social media to find and book venues?
• Would they value virtual tours, real-time booking availability, or AI-driven venue recommendations?

Sustainability Prioritization

• How important are eco-friendly venues to brides?
• Would they pay a premium for venues that incorporate sustainable practices?

Emotional & Psychological Factors

• What emotional experiences do brides want from their venue?
• What memories or aesthetics are most important?

Vendor Integration & Post-Booking Experience

• Do brides want venues to handle vendor coordination?
• What level of ongoing communication do they expect from venues after booking?

To fill these gaps, we will focus our qualitative interviews on deepening our understanding of these topics.

Discussion Guide for Qualitative Interviews

To structure the interviews effectively, we have divided the discussion guide into five sections, each addressing a critical gap in our understanding.

1. Digital Tools & Venue Discovery

Objective: Understand how brides find, research, and book wedding venues online.

Questions to Ask:

1. How did you first start searching for wedding venues? (Google, wedding apps, social media, referrals?)
2. What websites, platforms, or digital tools did you use during your search?
3. Did you find virtual tours or online availability calendars helpful when researching venues?
4. Would you prefer an online booking option for venues? Why or why not?

?? Why We’re Asking:

• To identify which marketing channels are most effective for venue discovery.
• To validate demand for real-time booking and virtual venue exploration tools.

2. Sustainability & Eco-Friendly Preferences

Questions to Ask:

5. When selecting a venue, how important is sustainability to you?

6. Would you pay a premium for a venue that tracks its carbon footprint or offers sustainable wedding packages?

7. What specific sustainability efforts (e.g., zero-waste catering, solar power) would make a venue more appealing?

?? Why We’re Asking:

• To quantify the importance of sustainability in venue selection.
• To determine if sustainable venues can command a pricing premium.

3. Emotional & Psychological Factors

Objective: Uncover the emotional drivers behind venue selection.

Questions to Ask:

8. What feeling do you want your wedding venue to evoke for you and your guests?

9. Describe a venue experience that would make your wedding feel truly unforgettable.

10. Have you ever visited a venue that didn’t feel "right"? What made you rule it out?

?? Why We’re Asking:

• To go beyond practical factors and tap into emotional motivations.
• To help venues design marketing narratives that resonate with brides’ desires.

4. Vendor Ecosystem & Coordination Services

Objective: Understand how much brides value vendor integration in venues.

Questions to Ask:

11. Would you prefer a venue that offers all-inclusive vendor packages? Why or why not?

12. How important is it for a venue to have a list of recommended vendors?

13. Would you be interested in a digital dashboard that lets you communicate with vendors and your venue in one place?

?? Why We’re Asking:

• To explore the potential for an API-integrated venue management system.
• To determine how much vendor coordination influences booking decisions.

5. Post-Booking Experience & Communication

Objective: Identify gaps in the post-booking customer experience.

Questions to Ask:

14. After booking your venue, what kind of ongoing support do you expect?

15. Would you prefer a mobile app to track venue updates and communicate with coordinators?

16. How often would you like to receive check-ins from the venue before your wedding?

Why We’re Asking:

• To improve the post-booking customer experience and identify potential retention strategies.
• To explore demand for a centralized wedding planning platform.

Highlight Video Reel Showcasing Findings

After conducting interviews, we will update this section with a highlight video reel that showcases real bride testimonials and key qualitative insights.

What the Video Will Feature:

• Direct quotes from engaged women about their wedding planning struggles.
• Emotional stories about what truly matters when selecting a venue.
• Pain points & frustrations brides face during the booking and planning process.
• Insights into the role of sustainability, technology, and vendor coordination in venue selection.

Why This Matters:

• Hearing firsthand experiences will add depth and authenticity to our research.
• It will help venue owners and product teams visualize the key problems that need solving.
• It will serve as a powerful validation tool for stakeholders and investors.