LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. — For a lot of couples, something’s gotta give in order to contend with the highest inflation in 40 years.
For some, that means cutting the guest list.
The Knot, which conducts an annual survey on wedding trends, found that nearly half the couples who got married last year reduced their guest count.
The average 2021 wedding had 105 guests, compared to 131 guests in 2019.
The Zoom celebration, a pandemic-era stand-in when large gatherings weren’t allowed, has been repurposed as a way to include a bigger group of friends and relatives without the expense of an in-person event.
The cost of flowers also skyrocketed. For example, roses that might have cost 80 cents a stem now cost as much as $3 each, so some couples are opting for rose petals only, or fake flowers.
From the vendors side, weddings planners and photographers say they’re experiencing more haggling and that they notice events seem to be growing smaller.
