WEDDING BOOM: If you're planning on saying "I do" in 2022, be sure to take into account the higher number of weddings.

2020 and 2021 were nightmare years for couples planning their dream wedding. Their “save the dates” had to be postponed, even canceled, because of the pandemic’s lockdown on venues and gatherings. 

Which is why experts are predicting 2022–and even the year after–to be one of the biggest booms in the wedding industry in 40 years. Let’s take a look at the breakdown of the stats and what the wedding landscape will look like now that brides are racing to aisles that are now open for nuptials … almost like normal.
 

• Because postponed weddings are at an all-time high–about 130% growth since last year–available weekend dates and venues are at an all-time low, so couples are now scheduling weekday dates for the Big Day.
• 60% of couples are having weddings with more than 100 guests, while 40% still opt for a virtual, live-streaming ceremony.
• 97% of wedding guests are comfortable with attending in-person betrothals.
• Wedding vendors are in high demand, which is resulting in rising rates, from photography to catered dinners.
• Couples are willing to spend more than double for their special day, thanks to more time to bolster their savings, which includes details, according to Cheryl Cox of The Wedding Showcase, like hig-end acrylic wedding invitations. 
• This extreme economic improvement also reveals a much-needed recovery for vendors who are seeing an abundance of short-term spending and couples going big.
• The industry is seeing an increase in last-minute bookings from rescheduled weddings.