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.
Feltz Bagels is a pop up shop in New York so watch out before you take a bite.
The Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to Norwegian author Jon Fosse.
A new pop-up is recreating Elvis Presley's famous living room from Graceland and will be in New York on Thursday and Friday. Kevin Kern, vice president of public relations with Memphis Tourism, joined Cheddar News to explain what pieces are in the recreated room, including a drink inspired by the King of Rock 'n Roll.
With the annual Beauty CEW Awards in tow, Brittany Lo, founder of Beia Beauty, joined Cheddar News to show and demonstrate some of her company's sensual care products. Beia Beauty is a finalist in the sexual wellness category.
A Texas county commissioner is facing a possible felony charge in Nebraska after accidentally shooting his 12-year-old grandson during a wedding he was officiating.
Jurassic Park and Lego are partnering for a movie.
Police in Iowa helped rescue an owl stuck in a soccer net.
A self-described gangster who police and prosecutors say masterminded the shooting death of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996 made his first court appearance Wednesday on a murder charge.
Staying on top of your personal spending shouldn't be as complicated as you think. Lazetta Braxton, a certified financial planner, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to track that spending, such as grouping expenses into different categories.
Author James Patterson joined Cheddar News to discuss a new book he co-wrote with Mike Lupica, "12 Months to Live," their third project together and also spoke about their upcoming tour as well as his passion for child literacy.
