Splurge or purge? Wedding businesses are adapting to a changing market

Replace the flower girl with a labradoodle. Reduce the guest list by 100. Book the venue for a weekday. Ride in food trucks instead of a multi-course sit-down meal. Ditch the designer heels for custom Converses or well-worn cowboy boots.

These are just a few of the wedding day cost-cutters brides-to-be do , according to Kelly Cook, director of marketing and IT manager at David's Bridal, which has 300 stores in North America and the UK

The major shift underfoot is how brides are currently feeling heavy economic pressure and revising their plans . But either way, the wedding dress and the honeymoon aren't sacrificed, according to consumer surveys.

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"Everything else is completely on the table," Cook said, adding that $700 is the good price for a wedding dress for many buyers.

With 2.6 million weddings expected this year nationwide, some of these couples are among of those who had to postpone their nuptials due to the pandemic. In 2020, 63% of engaged couples had to put their plans on hold temporarily.

Just as millions of people have become more comfortable attending weddings, the wedding industry is accelerating this week market in New York. Many resources are planning presentations and shows, including Reem Acra, who will launch her "Sweet Dreams" collection atop Summit One Vanderbilt, New York's fourth tallest skyscraper at 1,401 feet. Always hospitable designer Lela Rose will showcase her latest bridal collection at a cocktail party. Recognizing the struggles of small businesses and community building over the past two years and inspired by "The Wizard of Oz", The Knot's annual gala on Monday night was expected to draw 1,000 people and touch on themes including courage, love and the bad guys.< /p>

Weddings are back "in a big way" and "fabulous" outfits are needed for multiples events such as the welcome party, rehearsal dinner, ceremony and after party, according to Rose. Shoppers can browse her bridal collection at her New York studio which opened this year and at the company's flagship bridal boutique in Dallas. The Fall 2023 collection will feature "several new festive looks" that the company "will strive to make available without the constraints of a traditional longer delivery time," Rose said.

Lela Rose Bridal fans can find the collection at the company's studio in New York and at its Dallas outpost. Photo courtesy

A notable absence during the bridal market will be a Carolina Herrera collection. The fashion house has decided to exit the bridal business - 45 years after it first offered a bridal collection. Going forward, the company will continue to offer a bridal cocktail collection as part of its ready-to-wear offerings.

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