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.
Getting your children doesn't mean you need to break the bank to do so. Cheddar News' Michelle Castillo attended Toy Insider's Holiday of Play event to find toys that you can get for under $20 ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
September is National Dog Service Month. Rubie Nathanson, a trainer with Dog Training Elite, joined Cheddar News to discuss the differences between a service dog and a typical pet and the importance of service dogs overall.
Cosmetic Executive Women is holding their Beauty Creator Awards and Cheddar News' Hena Doba went to check out some of the groundbreaking beauty products that were on display for hair care, skin care along with fragrances and color cosmetics.
A charter bus carrying high school students to a band camp veered off a New York highway and tumbled down an embankment Thursday, killing two adults and seriously injuring several others, officials said.
