Report: Inflation Making Weddings More Costly for Couples, Guests

Inflation and increased demand are making weddings more costly, “as everything from music to flowers to makeup gets more expensive,” Axios reported on Monday.

“After a pandemic-induced backup and pent-up demand, weddings have come roaring back with bigger budgets, longer guest lists and grander ideas,” the report states. “Almost every aspect of planning, hosting and attending weddings is getting pricier.”

The report cites data from the wedding planning platform Zola, which recently found that 77 percent of wedding vendors said they would be raising their rates this year.

Data from The Knot showing the estimated change in price for select wedding items between 2019 and 2022 also shows a significant increase for most items besides groom attire, according to the report.

DJ rates were estimated to rise by 25 percent, makeup artists and flowers by 20 percent, wedding dresses rose by 19 percent, and hairstylists upped prices by 18 percent. Photographer prices were expected to increase by eight percent, catering (per head) by seven percent, venues increased by seven percent, and wedding cakes rose two percent.

Zola further found that the average cost of a wedding in the United States increased from $28,000 to $29,000 between this year and last year, although weddings are even more expensive in places like New Jersey ($44,219), Massachusetts ($40,097), and Washington, DC, ($45,400).

“On top of that, social media has infiltrated the wedding planning process — and more and more couples feel pressure to spend big to make their events pop,” the report states. “They’re splurging on details like doughnut walls, custom cocktail napkins, and champagne towers to add pizzazz.”

Wedding guests are also facing higher costs, especially if they are part of the wedding party, the report states.

“[Forty percent] of people who’ve gone to weddings in the past five years have gone into debt to be there, per a recent LendingTree survey,” according to the report. “That jumps to 62 percent if they were also in the bridal party — which comes with additional obligations, like showers and bachelor and bachelorette parties.”

IBISWorld, a marketing research firm, found that the wedding services business in the United States grew ten percent in 2022 and is a $71 billion industry.