The Wedding Business Is Booming, a Short-Term Jolt to the Economy

Frantic caterers, $200,000 weekends: The wedding industry is on fire, bringing spending, and bottlenecks.

Meg Van Dyke, who runs a Pittsburgh wedding planning company, spent a recent weeknight frantically calling photographers for a May 2022 wedding. All eight who fit her couple’s criteria were fully booked. “I’ve never had a problem finding vendors before,” she said. “It’s absolutely booming.” Weddings are roaring back after a pandemic-induced slump, leading to booked-up venues, a dearth of photographers and rising prices on catered dinners. As demand picks up, it’s providing an additional jolt of spending to the U.S. economy.