Monetising Marriage and Divorce

17/6/2017

Reading the Sunday paper I stumbled across this article lamenting the rising cost of weddings in New Zealand. Given my recent personal experience I think this needs to be put into proper perspective.

First the Article in Brief

A priest is up in arms over new wedding celebrant charges. The Department of Internal Affairs set new fees to reflect the "true cost". Since the change, couples have had to fork out $150 to have their marriage solemnised by a celebrant, an almost $30 increase, and $240 if married in the registry office - up from $174.
Independent marriage celebrants have also been hit with a $220 appointment fee, which must be renewed annually for $60. Father Brian Prendeville from St John the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Otara, Auckland says "I think the fee is not exorbitant. What it will mean is people who perhaps have been registered for many years, and over the years have just done fewer and fewer weddings, might start to think well actually I'm not going to pay the $60 when I'm only going to do two weddings."

Market Choice: Marriages or Divorces

As an angel investor, I encourage startups to think carefully about the ideal customer, what market segment to target. Therefore I would argue that marriage celebrants have not done their homework, they are targeting the wrong end of the market.
Two things that are relevant to weddings.

More and more relationships are informal, legal de facto relationships, at the same time the number of formal weddings which require a marriage celebrant is shrinking.
Couples at the beginning of their relationship have in general few assets and little disposable income which makes them less attractive customers.

So if the wedding is one end of the marriage then the other end has to be the divorce. Divorce lawyers are feeding on this market segment and they make few complaints.

Divorce lawyers deal with the whole market for separations whether from de facto relationships or legal marriages.
Divorce lawyers enjoy repeat business from subsequent separations.
In general couples have accumulated additional wealth during the relationship which makes them better funded customers.

So get over it

You are responsible for your chosen market segment.
Don't blame it on external factors, like a modest rate increase by authorities.

In fact, the wedding license is the cheap end and should ideally provide a full disclosure of the thick end of the bargain.
For that reason the brutal concept of a wedding with guns has an almost refreshing honesty about mercenary shootout or war of the roses that will often ensue.

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