Weddings bells are ringing again in 2021. Thanks to the vaccine rollout and changing health safety guidelines, planners expect a big bridal boom in the coming months.
Last year was marked by postponements and cancellations of special events.
Many couples had to delay their walk down the aisle because of the pandemic. But, planners say this year a bridal boom is taking over the wedding industry.
Last June, Madisen Houston and Colten Maple decided to take their relationship to the next level.
“I made him dinner when he came home. He had a rough day, and I was giving him a neck massage. Then, he was just like, ‘you know. I have something to ask you,’” said Houston.
Maple popped that special question and asked Houston if she would be his wife.
“He just got down on one knee and popped the question. I was just like, ‘oh yes, I will marry you,’” said Houston.
After three years together, the pandemic hit and the couple knew they’d have to wait to tie the knot.
“We had initially planned to get married after everything had kind of settled down in the first place. So, that was definitely the plan-- was to wait, wait out the storm a little bit,” said Houston.
Wedding and event planner Rachel Hornbacher says business has skyrocketed now that people feel safer gathering together.
“I’ve had a huge spike of people being like, ‘oh, everything’s open. We’re going to get married now.’ I think it probably started like a month ago, now that the vaccines have rolled out and people are getting vaccinated and people are feeling a little more comfortable going out,” said Hornbacher.
Hornbacher says it’s a big turnaround from last year when she had five weddings booked for the summer, but only one happened.
Now, she has eight weddings to plan with couples fully intending on having the celebration. Even with the security vaccines provide, Houston says her ceremony will be a socially-distant event.
“We’re going to have bean bag toss and ladder golf and things like that outside at the reception. And then at the actual ceremony, it’s going to be outside. So, people can spread out how they want to,” said Houston.
Houston says the one-year wait was well worth it to finally be marrying the person she hopes to spend the rest of her life with.
Hornbacher says if you’re planning a wedding this year, it might be a bit harder to reserve venues or catering. She says the sooner you book, the better off you’ll be.
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