Thanks to a pandemic-induced wedding drought, the events industry is expecting to be busier than ever after a tumultuous period where venues, suppliers, and planners have really felt the pain of the pandemic.
According to The Wedding Report, a market research agency, there will be 2.5 million weddings in the United States in 2022, the most since 1984. To put it in perspective, before the pandemic, there were approximately 2.1 million weddings per year; but, due to cancellations, there were only 1.2 million nuptials in 2020. According to Shane McMurray, founder of The Wedding Report, “the surge is definitely coming on next year.”
While some couples had Zoom weddings, most postponed their celebrations because conditions prevented big, open gatherings in many cases. Furthermore, many more couples became engaged over the period and are already planning weddings as a result. Venues are fully booked through 2022, even into 2023. Florists, photographers, and planners are preparing for bumper seasons that have already kicked off in the US.
“It’s not sustainable for human people to do this,” says Laine Palm, a Minneapolis-based wedding designer, and coordinator. “We’re exhausted, and we can’t continue to conduct three weddings in a weekend, as we are right now.”
According to Palm, weddings are increasingly spilling over to Thursdays and Sundays as venues run out of Fridays and Saturdays. This summer, she even staged a Monday wedding. She’s fully booked until the end of next year while also receiving many inquiries for 2023 and decided to wait until January 2022 to respond.
Wedding budgets are also on the rise again, following a fall in 2020. CNBC reports that couples are spending an average of $22,500 on their weddings. $3,000 from 2020 and approximately equivalent to 2019, according to statistics from the wedding website The Knot.
According to experts, this is simply a blip on the radar for the wedding industry. “To be honest,” McMurray continues, “this isn’t true growth.” “This is previously unmet demand. “Overall, the number of weddings in the United States has declined as more couples opt not to marry or have a costly celebration. This trend is expected to continue post-pandemic, he says.
What does This Mean for Venues Weddings and Event Professionals?
As we will hopefully inch towards freedom and the restrictions on gatherings lessen, we expect a surge in demand for event spaces and accommodations. The trends in the US teach us that these surges start before the restrictions ease, so it’s crucial to stay on the front foot. To help with this, professionals and venues need to work efficiently and maximise interactions’ impact whilst some restrictions remain. For example, you can still ‘wow’ your clients and create compelling propositions without face-to-face interaction through a virtual site tour.
Now is the time to take advantage of the new norm. The rise of technology to become a comparable substitute means the savviest professionals can cut through the restrictions imposed by lockdown and really feed off clients’ enthusiasm to have their big event as soon as lockdowns pass. This is the ideal time to show off your venue’s distinct features and develop an online presence with clients whilst they sit in their living rooms.
Even if they haven’t seen your location in person, a 3D tour will give them the confidence to book with you and indicates that your venue is at the forefront of technology and willing to go the extra mile. It doesn’t stop there; for other event professionals like decor providers and stylists, you too can demonstrate products in a virtual showroom or showcase how you transform an event space into a dream event.
Designa studio has got you covered. Discover how you can use innovative technology to create a significant impact as the industry re-emerges. Make sure you’re on the front foot to ride the uptick in events that are coming in 2022. Register on the link below for us to schedule a demo. You are one step closer to showcasing beautiful events designed by you.