The wedding industry has seen some major changes over the course of the past two years. 2020 unfortunately led many couples to postpone their nuptials, or to have a small, civil ceremony between the engaged. 2021 saw for a wedding boom– people who had already planned to be married in 2021, those who were newly engaged, and others who pushed their 2020 weddings a year back.
This wedding boom has seen wedding planners and vendors to receive record numbers of inquiries and bookings all the way through 2024. An estimated 2.6 million weddings will take place this year. Many vendors and venues are overbooked and feeling the stress of the global supply chain and labor shortages. Wedding venue owners who used to only turn away two or three weddings a year are having to quadruple that number. Makeup artists are taking double the gigs as usual.
In order to deal with the increased demand, many vendors and venues are beginning to increase prices.
For couples looking to get married in 2022, these increased demands and prices are leading them do do things a little differently. Some are booking venues sight unseen just to secure a location on their date. Others are increasing their budgets to make up for these astronomical demands.
The best thing you can do is book early, and be flexible. Consider marrying on a less desirable day. Choose not to get married in the summer, when most weddings occur. Talk with your wedding officiant and planner to see if they have any suggestions.
Don’t forget to take into account the higher industry prices. The average wedding total has increased by 10%. If you have a tight budget, you may have to reallocate some funds. Host a smaller wedding to have access to a wider variety (and maybe even more unique) venues, and to save yourself money.
If all of this is too stressful– don’t let it cloud your special day. If you’re afraid of making snap decisions and compromising where you might not want to, instead have a longer engagement and wait for demand goes down. While weddings can be stressful, they should primarily be a happy time.