Multi-tiered cakes, elaborate floral displays and choreographed first dances: The traditional white wedding has been long considered a hallmark of American life.
The obsession with lavish weddings grew to a fever pitch in the years following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, inflation soared — and the average cost of a wedding broke $30,000 for the first time in 2023, according to The Wedding Report, a research company that tracks wedding data.
Now, after two years of elevated inflation eating into consumers’ wealth, for some engaged couples, splurging on a dessert table or extra sprays of flowers, which are the definition of “nice to haves,” has become a much less justifiable decision. That’s bad news for wedding vendors who provide services like videography, photo booths and catering.
Meanwhile, those vendors are facing a more worrisome existential threat: a looming drop in the overall number of weddings.
Agree with @[email protected] — Good!
I remember looking for venues and caterers and such and it was crazy how expensive everything was — and usually included a lock-in on food/alcohol suppliers — and this was many years ago. Seeing the prices that people are spending for a huge extravagant affair for one day is mind-blowing. If you can afford it, great; but I don’t think that’s the case for most. Starting a marriage with a huge debt is a horrible idea.
The article touched on this, and I agree. The best weddings are the ones that focus on the couple and making it their special day in every way and not how much they paid for the venue or destination or who the DJ is. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to have a special wedding. I’ve been to all kinds of weddings, and I’d always take a courthouse wedding and potluck reception in the backyard with friends over a lavish but impersonal destination wedding at a resort or the huge church wedding with hundreds of people.