It is common knowledge that weddings are the costliest events. Some couples end up in a mountain of debt because they had the grandest wedding ever. Some learn early on that weddings should not be about how much you spend as a couple, but about being with the people who will celebrate your union. In the past year, we saw couples postponing and delaying their weddings because of the coronavirus. Many of them waited for the outbreak to pass so that they could invite more of their loved ones to this special event. Then, others decided to get married privately to spend the last year quarantining and isolating together.

Year over year, the average wedding cost increases by 10% to 20%. So if you are planning to get married, don’t wait for a year to plan things out. Get married in the same year you got engaged. That’s usually the advice from wedding planners. Or, at the very least, lock in the current fees for your wedding next year by paying a down.

Tendency to Splurge

The pandemic caused many couples to want to spend extravagantly for their wedding. After all, it is also a sort of celebration for seeing family, friends, and loved ones after such a long year of hardship. When the government finally allowed larger group events, many couples held big parties for their loved ones. It’s a sort of reunion during these trying times. There is, however, a tendency to splurge because there was a real end-of-the-world scenario happening right before your eyes.

Some couples rented a boat for a bucks party cruise to celebrate their wedding in style. Many invited as many of their loved ones as they could to hold a reunion to celebrate their marriage. Couples who initially wanted a small wedding suddenly realized how important it is to see their loved ones again after being deathly afraid to see them physically in the past year. The pandemic raised the wedding fees and heightened the emotions that people associate with getting married.

Isolating, Distancing, and Testing

The fact that there are more restrictions now will also add to the wedding expenses. In the past, couples didn’t have to worry about testing their guests for any kind of virus. Some states will require participants in large gatherings to get tested before they can attend the event. This, of course, is an added expense on the part of the couple who need to spend on antigen testing for their guests. Some will even provide face masks to make sure that everyone feels safe at the party. And because there is a need for distancing, couples have to rent a larger event hall.

Vendors Raising Fees

After a year of not having any income from their businesses at all, wedding vendors will charge higher fees to commensurate for the delayed and canceled events. Couples must expect that their wedding vendors will charge higher-than-before fees. It might even be more than the standard 10% to 20% increase. They need to do this not because they blame couples for the pandemic but because they have to keep their businesses afloat.

Since they don’t know what will happen in the future, they will try to get as much as they can from the weddings that will push through now. Who knows when another round of restrictions will face them? This is a necessary decision they have to make to keep their businesses.

Changing Plans

Again, restrictions may still happen because of rising COVID-19 cases. This means that couples have to change their plans again. Delays and cancellations are a waste of money. Rebooking event places, transportations, and other wedding suppliers will cost a lot. Booking flexible dates will also mean more money goes down the drain. However, there is no way out of this predicament because of the uncertainty in the future. Some couples have to go through the cycle of delays to comply with regulations.

More Competition Caused by Delays

The delays and cancellations of weddings in the past year mean that there is more competition today. Couples like you are also going to get married. Vendors can raise their fees because of the demand. The supplies will be more expensive, too, because there is more demand in the market. If you want to save on the cost of your wedding, you can wait it out until things settle. However, if you think there are new restrictions on the way, then holding a simple wedding might be your best bet.

Weddings don’t have to be grand, but nothing is wrong if you want to celebrate your union in style. Remember two things when getting married: plan early and lock in the current lower fees with a down payment. These alone will save thousands of dollars in wedding expenses.