There is no denying that 2022 was the “Year of the Wedding.” According to the Wedding Report, the U.S. saw a staggering 2.6 million weddings this year, the most since 1984. This breaks down to 7,123 weddings for every day in 2022.
That’s great news for the industry, a trend that’s projected to last into 2023, when an estimated 2.2 million weddings will occur. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights from the wedding world in 2022
The Great Flower Shortage
The 2022 wedding boom was great for the industry, but couples, wedding planners and vendors also felt some constrictions. Threats of recession, inflation and high demand meant that things were in short supply and, consequently, more expensive. Businesses were short staffed and remanent woes of COVID created bumps in the road. There was a flower shortage caused by growers being forced to stop production during the pandemic with many flower farms closing indefinitely. With demand outrageously exceeding the supply, couples were either paying 15-20% more compared to previous years.
Domestic Destination Weddings
While this may sound like an oxymoron, domestic destination weddings were a “thing” in 2022. These were weddings that took place in “otherworldly” destinations in the U.S. that didn’t require guests to have a passport. With COVID uncertainty, people not feeling totally comfortable crossing international borders, and soaring airfare, couples opted for discovering natural outdoor locales such as the Redwoods off the coast of Big Sur, California, and Italian-inspired estates in Long Island, N.Y. Whether a quaint New England town, powdery beach in sunny Florida or intimate vineyard in Napa, couples realized that there is no lack of cool spots domestically.
Back to Basics
This was a big one. After everything the world has gone through the past few years, couples went back to basics. They embraced their core beliefs and focused on what really mattered. This year saw intentionality, reflection of couples’ values, and surrounding themselves with their favorite people and things. They were much more thoughtful when creating their wedding weekend experience, wanting to personalize it for their guests. Couples recognized and appreciated the time and money their guests spent to celebrate them. Events were tailored for multi-generational groups and couples really went all in to “wow” their family and friends.
Self-Care
In the spirit of getting back to basics, couples prioritized self-care in 2022. Whether this involved taking supplements, yoga, meditation or speaking with a therapist, wellness practices were a top priority. Customized skincare routines and personalized nutrition plans were big. Vitamin-infused IV drips were helpful the week of the wedding, especially for destination weddings with multiple events in one weekend. Couples realized that prepping for the big day isn’t only about what’s on the outside; it’s about feeling your best on the inside.
Weekday Weddings
It’s simple math, really. There are 53 Saturdays in a year and with 2.6 million weddings taking place, it was an impossibility that every 2022 wedding could be held on the traditionally popular day. The weekend wedding tradition went out the window in 2022 along with many other traditions. Rules were turned upside down, customs were changed, and couples and wedding planners were forced to be much more flexible. If snagging a Saturday date pre-pandemic was tough, many couples wanting a Saturday wedding date were forced to look to 2023 and beyond. Those who didn’t want to wait that long had no choice but to consider a weekday wedding. According to Minted, there was an 11% increase of non-Saturday weddings in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic times. Couples got creative and weekday weddings sort of became the norm.
For couples and wedding planners, it was important to keep it all in perspective. Among the biggest lessons learned in 2022 were those of patience, grace, and flexibility—learning to be patient with response times and slower service from business that were short staffed; showing grace and understanding and kind when dealing with others; and being flexible and adaptable to the many curves thrown at couples and wedding planners.
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