Zola surveyed more than 1,000 newlywed couples to get the details on what they did before they got married. As it turns out, a lot of couples are having the marriage conversation way ahead of the engagement. The survey found that 94% of couples discuss getting engaged in the six months before actually doing so. A full 30% of those talk engagement and marriage at least once a week.

Zola also found that 60% of couples said they actually planned part of their wedding before the engagement was official. Dr. Jennifer Freed, a family behavioral specialist, told Thrillist that talking about marriage before taking the plunge is absolutely critical. "Most couples go into marriage without consciously addressing issues about blending families, raising children or not, religious or spiritual values, money, chore distribution, health habits, and other fundamental components of a healthy union," she says. "Sharing deeply and authentically about each person's longings and values can bring a couple closer, and help clarify the positive intentions in combining their lives legally."

The new AudienceSCAN survey found 4% of Americans set personal goals to get engaged within the next 12 months. And we all know engagement season is upon us, so now is the time for marketers to target these Engagement Seekers.

Here are some other stats from Zola's survey:

Pre-​Proposal Planning

94% of couples discussed marriage before getting engaged.

• 30% talked about getting engaged at least 1x per week, if not more frequently
• 43% talked about getting engaged at least 1x per month
• 5% only discussed marriage once before getting engaged

60% of couples said they actually planned part of their wedding before becoming engaged. Of these,

• 50% of brides-​to-​be created a wedding Pinterest board
• 15% read bridal magazines and wedding blogs
• 26% consulted with friends/​family about their dream wedding plans
• 10% created a wedding planning checklist
• We also heard from brides who said before getting engaged they booked a venue, a photographer, wedding planner, went to pre-​marital counseling, or even said yes to the dress in advance. Hey, whatever works!

The wedding industry can target Engagement Seekers to reach consumers before they even pop the question, but while they are already talking and researching wedding ideas. The AudienceSCAN study found 41% of Engagement Seekers took action after seeing ads on social networks in the past 30 days.

Here are some check-​list items that brides said they thought about before becoming engaged, but did not necessarily take action on.

• 55% had a location in mind (30% had an actual venue in mind)
• 48% thought about what their wedding dress might look like
• 32% considered who would be in their bridal party, where they would honeymoon, and what their wedding colors might be
• 25% pinned pictures of flowers, decor and wedding invites
• 20% had a wedding date in mind
• Other popular responses include wedding officiate, first dance song and wedding cake options.

Talking to Engagement Seekers about the above ideas and showcasing trends in mobile messaging could be a winning strategy for marketers. The AudienceSCAN data points out 40% of Engagement Seekers took action after receiving mobile smartphone app ads or text message ads in the past 30 days.

Put A Ring On It

30% of brides admitted to getting a manicure only because they *thought* they were getting engaged.

70% of brides said they dreamed about the bling before getting a ring.

70% of brides-​to-​be also said they dropped bling hints (subtly and not-so-subtly).

• 50% of couples went ring shopping together
• 57% of couples look at dream bling pictures together
• 35% of couples went ring shopping together

AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies, or with the SalesFuel API. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.