Today is National Wedding Planning Day, and Cheddar News' Shannon LaNier visited a bridal shop on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to get an inside look at the ongoing "wedding boom."
What is the wedding boom? Well, there were a record 2.6 million weddings in 2022, which is up from 1.9 million in 2021 and 1.3 million in 2020, according to a report from The Knot, a wedding planning agency.
That amounts to about 7,123 weddings per day in the United States. During these special events, guests spent an average of $460 to attend and more than $1,000 if the wedding required them to take a flight.
The current upswing in weddings follows a sharp dip in 2020 due to the pandemic. Now the competition for vendors and venues is getting stiff, requiring even more planning.
Lauren Kay, executive director at The Knot, said the pandemic forced a number of changes to accommodate social distancing and other restrictions. This led couples to get more creative and add more personalized details to their weddings.
Now, in 2023, couples are carrying this trend forward. For example, many are holding "unplugged ceremonies" in which no photos or videos are allowed from guests. Another trend is more themed weddings, such as "Roaring '20s" and Star Wars.
Nicki Minaj just reached a milestone that no other woman in rap has reached.
Jack Harlow is making his way to the Metaverse, as the rapper is set to perform a VR concert that will be accompanied by a documentary.
A Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called “8 Passengers” has pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for abusing and starving two of her children.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show, Jessica Chastain recalled a time when Taylor Swift emailed her a curated breakup playlist.
Nicola founder Trevor Milton is set to be sentenced in a New York Court on three charges related to defrauding investors.
Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.
Vogue magazine shared an extensive list of the top memes this year.
Ben Zoffness, founder of Zoffness College Prep, shares some creative tips to keep kids' minds on learning during winter break.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced on Friday it will return 16 ancient items to Cambodia and Thailand.
Actor and chef David Burtka tells us about the best part of the holiday season with husband Neil Patrick Harris and their family. Plus: a very special jam collaboration between the couple and Beth's Farm Kitchen that will benefit City Harvest.
