BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Wedding bells aren't ringing as much as they used to, but why?
"There's research out there already that shows people are cohabitating versus getting married like the rate of marriage is declining," said Shane McMurray, CEO and Founder of The Wedding Report.
A look at the numbers
Let's go back ten years. The number of weddings was holding steady at about 2.2 million weddings a year, per the wedding report.
Then, 2020 happens and there are barely any weddings. Post-COVID, things bounced back past the 2 million mark.
But experts predict that number will go back down in the years to come.
So we'll break down the impact here, hearing from:
- An engaged couple
- A bridal shop owner
- An event planner
The Couple
"I pulled everyone aside, I'm like, this is the spot to do it," said Eric Herrmann.
The spot was a castle in Scotland. Herrmann and now fiancée Alyson Tufillaro were studying law abroad through the University at Buffalo in October of 2022 when he popped the question, she didn't see it coming.
Now, two years later, they're deep into wedding planning.
"It's nose to the grindstone trying to reach out to a million vendors, interview all these people and get everything planned, it's also this race to book people before they all book up," said Tufillaro.
Landing a venue in 2022 was tough, when everyone was rescheduling their wedding post-COVID restrictions.
There was a wave of wedding planning the past couple of years, but that's now cooling down. Prices went up, but with demand now down, are prices following? Not so much.
Last year the average cost of a wedding was $30,000.
"It's like, how are you gonna pay $10,000 for the wedding planner, $10,000 for the flowers and it's just like, it starts to get out of hand," said Tufillaro.
70% of couples are paying for weddings on their own and with everything so expensive these days, couples have to cut down.
The Bridal Shop Owner
The Bridal Chateau has been in business for 48 years in Williamsville, so they've seen the industry ebb and flow.
"Some people embrace it or some people fight against it. We sell more black wedding gowns than we do white. And we can help them no matter what," said Beth Clark.
Her goal is to be sustainable and all-inclusive, selling sizes 0-40. But she does have brides come in on a budget.
"And we embrace that...the national average for a wedding gown is $1,500 and that's about the average cost of a dress in our store," said Clark.
She says it's about adjusting as people move further away from tradition.
The Event Planner
As an event planner, Brittany Feuz has seen the traditional and the unique.
"Some people are not even having bridal parties anymore," said Feuz.
Her business Every Detail Counts is also feeling the impact of the wedding cool down.
"This year alone, we've all seen lower numbers, I don't know if that has something to do with COVID, people not having the opportunity to meet and start dating," said Feuz.
But she hopes people get back in the dating pool. For her, it's about diversifying your business and being ready for anything.
"The wedding industry is a billion dollar industry, it's not gonna dissolve, there's always gonna be weddings. We might be doing things a little differently 10 years from now," said Feuz.
The Next Generation
You many not get as many save the dates this wedding season and McMurray points to three reasons why.
- High divorce rates in parents (Gen X/Baby Boomers)
- Career-driven couples
- Cohabitation
"This younger generation's coming in and their perspective on marriage is, they don't really see value in it," said McMurray.
He says people still find love and live together, but the marriage is more symbolic.
As weddings continue to decline, he predicts prices will come down, too. And if you're looking to cut costs, cut down that guest list.
