weddings

How Coronavirus Could Change Wedding Culture — Even After Pandemic Ends

As the novel coronavirus outbreak unfolds, the modern wedding industry faces an unprecedented challenge and couples are downscaling their celebrations

The coronavirus pandemic has affected just about every area of our lives — large events especially. The wedding industry's growth has traditionally been thought of as unstoppable even as global marriage rates decline. The logic behind this assumption is that rising expenditures on weddings will expand revenue even as fewer marriages take place, reports NBC News.

As the novel coronavirus pandemic unfolds, the modern wedding industry faces an unprecedented challenge, with brides-to-be, who've already spent thousands on nonrefundable deposits, caught in the crossfire. Yet while many decisions — such as whether the venue will be able to reopen or whether they can secure a marriage license — may ultimately be left out of their hands, many couples are purposefully choosing to downsize their wedding celebrations.

While it may be too early to tell how coronavirus will affect the wedding industry in the long-term, Lauren Kay, executive editor of The Knot, told NBC News that "when large gatherings are permitted again" she anticipates weddings will be among the "first events to thrive again."

"It will definitely take some time to define what 'normal' looks like again for events and weddings following the COVID-19 pandemic," Kay said. "There will definitely be a ramp-up period and consumers who are hesitant to travel or be in large crowds at first, but what the coronavirus has done for so many is show them the value of human connection with those near and dear to their hearts."

Read the full story at NBC News.com.


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