NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Stephanie and Tom Covington had planned on a one year engagement, but like it did for so many others, COVID changed that.
"It gave us time to think about all that we wanted," said Stephanie.
"It gave us time to spend more money on it, I think; that's what it really did," laughed Tom.
The newlyweds are one of 2.5 million couples saying "I do" in 2022.
"We wanted something simple, but then everything just got bigger and bigger," said Stephanie.
"It snowballed," said Tom.
The couple quickly learned that getting married in this post-COVID world doesn't come cheap.
"There's a scarcity factor," said Lauren Schaefer, founder of The Get Together Events Co. "There are only so many wedding vendors, and there are more people that want to get married, really, than there are vendors to go around."
Schaefer said it's been the busiest year for weddings since 1984.
"All of the vendors really didn't have any sort of income for almost two years, so they are really trying to make up for that lost revenue," she said. That, coupled with supply chain issues and inflation, has sent prices soaring.
Last year, couples spent $34,000 on average for a wedding.
One study showed DJs cost around $1,400, venues averaged $10,700 and paying someone to capture those memories costs about $2,500.
"The lower end, I would say, in the Nashville area is probably $30,000, and then they kind of go up from there," said Schaefer. "I've definitely seen clients do it for less than that, but I would say that's kind of a good starter range for folks."
But there are ways to cut costs.
Schaefer said couples are getting creative, whether that means supplying their own alcohol or ditching the flowers in favor of a DIY centerpiece. Some are even getting married on "off-peak days" like Mondays or Thursdays to land their favorite venue at an affordable cost.
Still, Stephanie and Tom said it was all worth it. Their advice to others? "Just plan ahead."
