It is hard to find an industry that wasn’t negatively impacted by Covid-19 this past year. The wedding industry, for example, did not come away unscathed. Covid-19 left the wedding industry very different than it found it, with weddings across the U.S. postponed, canceled, or wedding traditions modified altogether.
Indeed, almost everyone’s perspective of weddings is changing. Whether or not you or your wedding have been directly or personally affected, it is evident that everything about weddings has been affected from the top-down.
Today, our team will walk through how Covid-19 has changed the wedding scene and how we see the wedding industry adapting, evolving, and bouncing back in this new year.
Keep reading for our fresh perspective on the wedding industry and how you can make a few simple choices to add value to your wedding and combat the adverse effects of Covid-19.
Financial Impacts
From a financial perspective, the national average price per person for weddings dropped significantly as the size of weddings dropped. It is no secret that more and more couples shifted from large gatherings to more intimate celebrations in 2020. These smaller wedding sizes and downsized celebrations resulted in the average cost of weddings decreasing.
Notably, the 2020 national average wedding cost was $19,000, according to The Knot. This number is significantly lower compared to 2019’s national average, which was $28,000.
At first glance, this fact seems to be promising. Who doesn’t want to pay less money for their wedding?
BUT, upon closer inspection, wedding experts expect wedding prices to rise in 2021 and 2022 as the country begins to open back up and Covid-19 restrictions continue to lift. Further, experts predict that weddings will be even more expensive than in recent years as vendors increase their fees to recoup their losses from 2019 and 2020.
Venue & Vendor Availability
Aside from the obvious financial impacts and the potential increase in general wedding costs in the future, many couples face the certainty of dealing with scheduling concerns. Think about all of the couples forced to push back their wedding celebrations in the past two years. All of those weddings plus the newly engaged will likely be in 2021-2022, causing a drastic decrease in availability for vendors, wedding venues, photographers, etc.
If you are recently engaged, experts recommend that you start planning your wedding as soon as possible. 2021-2022 wedding seasons are packed already, and being proactive or looking for alternative options is essential.
Focus on your values
Interestingly, experts in the wedding industry don’t see a decline in the number of couples wanting to get married. Instead, we in the industry see a heightened focus on what is truly important to our couples. Most weddings have shifted from large Pinterest-inspired affairs to gatherings where couples place all the importance on relationships, loved ones, and making sure everyone is together to celebrate.
To avoid unnecessary spending, we recommend sitting down with your partner and taking the time to discuss what you both value for your wedding. Figure out what is most important to you both (i.e., entertainment, location, food, etc.) and put the bulk of your budget into that.
Talk to your wedding planner or someone that you trust to weigh the options! Go with your gut and focus on how you want your guests to feel on your wedding day.
Alternative Options
Even considering the Covid-19 impact, it is still possible for you to host the wedding of your dreams without breaking the bank and adding unnecessary stress to your life! Consider looking at alternative options to a traditional wedding like all-inclusive venues, destination weddings, or elopement.
Going the all-inclusive route can add extra value as the wedding industry bounces back and balances out post-Covid. For example, with most wedding venues, there are typically hidden fees, travel costs, and costs per staff member, in addition to each vendor rental cost.
Working with all-inclusive venues like Etre Farms has many benefits, one of them being that you know exactly what you are getting, and there is minimal wiggle room with the total price you pay, and there are no hidden fees.
All-inclusive options limit the number of people you have to coordinate with, minimize the vendor contracts, and provide in-house services like florals and wedding website design.
Covid-19 has hurt the wedding industry and couples everywhere. However, there are still silver linings. Covid has made people reassess their priorities and place value on things that truly matter. For you and your wedding planning process, this could be great. You just have to get creative and focus on what matters.
Let us know if you have any questions! Drop questions in the comments, give us a call or message us. We are happy to help in any way that we can.
We look forward to helping make your dream wedding come true!
