Lauren Kay, executive director of ‘The Knot’, explains the recent surge in weddings and how to plan one amid the pandemic.
Wedding industry experts have predicted that the second half of 2021 will see a dramatic boost thanks to the distribution of coronavirus vaccines, and vendors across the country have found that prediction to be accurate so far.
Katie Zeim, a senior catering sales director at Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, told FOX Business that the St. Petersburg, Florida area has been hosting weddings since November.
“Couples want their weddings to be held in a location with good weather for an outdoor event or in a state with fewer restrictions where guests can chat and dance,” Zeim said. “We’re seeing a lot of last-minute elopements from local couples getting married before the family and planning something bigger in a year’s time, and we’re already getting a large number of bookings for weddings of 150 guests and above.”
Weddings in the St. Petersburg, Florida area have been on the rise since November, according to Katie Zeim, a senior catering sales director at Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club. (Ledia Tashi Photography LCC)
THE WEDDING INDUSTRY CAN SEE A “STRONG BOOM” IN 2021: THE KNOT WORLDWIDE CEO
Meanwhile, The Barn at Bradstreet Farm, Massachusetts has seen a flurry of business inquiries as the country nears its full reopening.
“After a bleak 2020 (most of our couples have been postponed to 2021) we will be hosting more than 50 events this year,” wrote Michelle Faulkner, co-owner of Bradstreet Farm, to FOX Business. “Inquiries have increased dramatically since vaccines became available. More importantly, couples who have already been booked with us feel much happier and more confident about their plans. Our customers [who] Originally booked for 2020, they were incredibly stressed out, with many putting other life plans – like buying houses and having babies – on hold until after their wedding. It was so difficult for her. “
Although wedding plans are resuming for couples who wish to wait out the pandemic, Faulkner noted that newly engaged couples will face competition when booking dates. Bradstreet Farm’s barn has been booked for most of 2022 and couples are already securing dates for 2023; and this trend could carry over to other high-demand venues.
“A couple who got engaged today would have a very difficult time planning something for 2021, especially if they want a Saturday night,” explained Faulkner.
HOTELS THAT PRESS “ELOPEMENT PACKAGES” TO STAY FLOAT DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
While elopements, micro-weddings, and virtual ceremonies took center stage for much of 2020 and the first half of 2021, some couples plan to celebrate their wedding with larger gatherings.
After more than a year of the coronavirus pandemic, some couples are preparing for a bigger celebration when they tie the knot. (iStock)
According to Jason Alexander Rubio, co-owner of Austin’s Best Wedding DJs & Photo Booths, couples are planning weddings of between 150 and 300 guests in Texas, similar to 2019.
“The first quarter of 2021 looked very similar to 2020 as weddings are very small and people continue to wear masks and social distancing. As more people get vaccinated, things have changed. In the past few weeks, calls and e- Mails changed We are barely able to keep up with the inquiries, “said Alexander Rubio to FOX Business. “We believe that [it’s] because people hear the news that so many people are being vaccinated and everyone knows someone who has already received the vaccine, [so] People are much more comfortable planning weddings / events. Couples have told us just that. “
AVERAGE COST OF A WEDDING DEPOSED IN 2020, SAYS WEDDING PLANNING MAGAZINE
According to the CDC, more than 118 million Americans are fully vaccinated. The health department also announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 “can resume their activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing themselves” – as long as there is no conflict with local or state mandates.
This news can be viewed as positive for 47% of couples who postponed their wedding reception to a later date, according to The Knot’s Real Weddings Study 2020 [COVID-19 Edition].
Get FOX BUSINESS on the go by clicking here
For example, bride-to-be, Emily Stern, told FOX Business that she and her fiancé got engaged in January 2020 and were originally scheduled for a wedding in May 2021 but were forced to postpone the wedding because non-healthcare vaccines weren’t available were so readily available in the weeks leading up to the chosen date.
Future bride Emily Stern and her fiancé Brian have postponed their wedding out of caution. (Emily Stern)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS
“We weren’t confident that even our grandparents would be vaccinated by May, let alone our friends in their late 20s with no underlying disease. Now we’re incredibly optimistic that we can safely hold a 250-person wedding indoors in six months,” Stern stated. “I think couples who got engaged in the last 14 months and were late to making plans because of fear of having to cancel or postpone now feel safe enough to take the plunge and set a date, however they likely realize that their desired dates or venues might already be booked. “