If 2020 weddings taught us anything, it's that if there is a will there is a way! How to navigate the new wedding world:
Photography: Ashley Boyan
There was nothing quite like the shake-up that the wedding industry faced in 2020, when absolutely everything was screeched to a halt, and the thought of gathering with a group over your immediate household was met with anxiety, fear, and confusion. Those feelings started to lighten as 2021 brought the vaccine to the masses and allowed weddings to come back to the forefront of many people’s minds. That might be why 2022 will be the year of the most weddings, about 2.5 million, since 1984 (from The Wedding Report). With the rise of the number of weddings, and with record inflation since the great recession, prices will naturally start increasing, and your wedding vendors are no exception.
So far from what I am seeing with 2022, and even 2023 weddings, is an immediate increase in 2022 and beyond pricing from just about every vendor. With the sheer rise in the number of weddings for next year, vendors are booking and sometimes overbooking for next year to make up for lost gains in 2020 and even in 2021. Many postponed weddings led to vendors having to take a pass on newer clients getting married in 2021 and even 2022 after moving the vast majority of 2020 weddings. That feeling of scarcity is trickling over into booking for 2022 and beyond.
Wedding pricing will depend many factors. Your wedding location is a huge factor. Wedding vendors of a similar caliber in rural Ohio will be less expensive than wedding vendors in New York City, due mostly to the cost of living and nature of those venues. On the East Coast, between sourcing and freight issues, even abnormal weather such as tornadoes caused extreme floral shortages that led to higher prices in 2021. Florists are now increasing their prices for next year in anticipation of and the current increase in the cost of the flowers themselves. For other vendors like planners or photographers, dealing with the volume of inquiries and prioritizing best-fit clients is also leading to increased costs for those services. You have to remember that your wedding vendors are real people with real families too, which means their cost of living is increasing along with yours. According to a Forbes article from November 2021, due to the cost of inflation, asking for a raise at work is highly suggested to maintain a competitive salary and account for inflation, why then would vendors who are mainly self-employed not be expected to do the same?
The typical “engagement season” spans from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s day and our newly engaged couples are going to be running into more problems than just expensive vendors, they will run into issues sourcing vendors altogether. In 2019 you could get engaged over the holidays and plan for a summer wedding the following year, anyone getting engaged this winter may find it nearly impossible to plan the wedding they want with the vendors of their choice until Summer/Fall 2023- and even then we are seeing sourcing issues. You will have to compromise choice of vendors for a shorter engagement.
My top recommendation to work within these new times of the wedding industry is to first set your priorities. As we saw in 2020, weddings and marriage will always find a way. Get creative with ideas on how to scale down in the areas that are flexible. The top way to save money will always be a smaller guest count, the more guests you have, the more expensive the overall wedding will be (more centerpieces, food & alcohol, etc). Hiring a planner before even looking at venues will allow a professional to guide you through the entire experience. It is a top priority of every planner to ensure you are sticking to the budget you are comfortable with from the very beginning. Your planner may have more ideas for venues with more “bang for their buck” and can see the full picture of what your wedding will look like and cost based on your vision and preferences. Once your priorities are set, you can then examine your budget, and keeping in mind the cost of vendors, start making proactive decisions. If you and your fiancé care the most about photography, maybe cut back on some of those more extravagant florals to spread out your budget more.
Look for venues that are “all-inclusive” meaning they will provide all venue necessities such as tables, chairs, linens, flatware, etc which can very quickly add up when sourcing those materials from outside vendors. In-house catering and alcohol can sometimes be more competitive or more expensive depending on the venue, so look out for costs per person and what is included. Maybe you have the opportunity to move your wedding to your home, your vendors will help you see the pros and cons of that decision. Your planner will help give you standard averages for your area and style. Overall, keep an open mind with the timing of your wedding, get creative with the details, and trust your vendors to be in your corner to help you create the day you have always dreamed of.
