Weddings are back on the rise throughout the country and the rest of the world, with The Wedding Report predicting an estimated 2.47 million weddings forecasted for 2022, the highest number of weddings occurring in a single year since 1984.

So, why the influx of celebrations? The answer is most likely found in the staggering number of weddings that were postponed or canceled altogether due to COVID-19 and local and federal mandates. 

Engaged couples everywhere were forced to come to terms with the fact that all that encompassed a pre-pandemic event was not likely in the foreseeable future. Luckily, a newfound resilience was shown by both couples and wedding vendors, by putting on creative and COVID safe weddings that involved a whole lot less people and a ton of compromise. As an industry, the rise of the micro-wedding became ever more apparent, as well as ditching the idea of what many of us would consider a traditional wedding in the first place. 

Now that restrictions have eased in most areas and gatherings can be held en masse, the shift from a once dwindling dossier to multiple events occurring within the same week is challenging vendors across all aspects of the wedding industry. 

Coordinators and planners have been dealing with making arrangements for their legacy clients (clients from 2020 who postponed for a later date) on top of taking on 2021 and 2022 brides and grooms. Florists, venue coordinators, officiants, photographers, caterers and more have been selective with the amount of new clients they are willing to take on, while others are embracing the rush and booked schedule. 

Locals and businesses on the Outer Banks are no stranger to a seemingly diminishing off-season.

“Even a few years ago, the off-season began in October and lasted through April. Currently, increased traffic and tourism on the Outer Banks is lasting through December with weddings even being held in January,” said Melanie Raynor, Executive Director of the Outer Banks Wedding Association. 

According to our recent study on wedding statistics from Outer Banks wedding vendors, 30 percent of weddings scheduled for 2020 didn’t occur, going from 641 pre-pandemic weddings to just 449. 

For 2021, an estimated 842 weddings will have been completed by survey respondents combined, with an average of 53 weddings each. 

For next year, a grand total of 345 weddings are already in the books for those who took our survey, with 12 percent of those being COVID reschedules.

When asked if they have set a limit on the number of weddings they are willing to take on in a calendar year, only 31 percent of vendors said that they would, with our lowest being only 20 weddings in a year and the maximum being 130. 

Since a majority of those who work within the wedding industry are self-employed, there is a greater sense of freedom to be selective with the amount of clients they take on. The industry as a whole lacks regulations, which can be unclear and vague at times, especially when it comes to the safety of vendors, their staff, clients and guests. 

Another challenge that arises quite often for Outer Banks businesses and vendors is the struggle to find adequate staffing. Housing availability for employees is becoming increasingly difficult to acquire, which has led to businesses being unable to operate at certain times due to staffing shortages. 

Despite all of the above, only about 25 percent of vendors surveyed report feeling burnt out as a result of the rise of weddings here on the Outer Banks. 

Burnout is characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an occupational phenomenon that occurs from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. 

When asked what they do to avoid feeling burnt out, the results vary. Some have decided to not take on any weddings during the winter months or by making a rule to not schedule weddings back to back in the same weekend, while others are practicing self-care by exercising, watching Netflix, and leaving up a vacation responder for their incoming requests. 

A few respondents have altered their marketing strategies by shifting their advertising spending from print to digital. 

In conclusion, whether faced with hurricanes or a global pandemic, Outer Banks wedding vendors have proved time and again that nothing can get in the way of their commitment to their clients. Learn more about our vendors by requesting a free Outer Banks Weddings magazine so that you can begin planning your Outer Banks wedding. 

The findings of our study is based on the responses from 16 different OBXWA vendors. The vendors who responded belonged to the following categories: Accommodations, Beauty and Spa, Cakes and Confections, Caterers and Restaurants, Ceremony and Reception Venues, Coordinators and Planners, Disc Jockeys, Equipment Rentals, Musicians, Officiants and Chapels, Photographers and Videographers.