After the pandemic forced couples to postpone walking down the aisle, weddings are through the roof this year, according to Zola CEO Shan-Lyn Ma.
Ma told Yahoo Finance that we have one of the busiest wedding years since the 1980s : guests are excited to go to weddings again, and they are invited to more than ever before. A report by The Knot estimates that the number of weddings will hit 2.6 million this year, up from 2.2 million in 2019.
The surge in weddings comes as inflation hits a 40 year high, making it more expensive for the couple getting married and their guests as well.
Zola's recent Wedding Guest Report found guests will spend more than $550 on average for each wedding they attend, but costs can vary depending on involvement and location. The guests can expect to spend nearly $600 to attend a wedding in 2022 by car and $1,314 by plane.
Zola estimates that each guest will spend more than $1,500 to be a wedding guest this year.
When it comes to where guests are spending their money, 29% say their top expenses are booking travel and buying gifts, followed by hotels.
Domestic flights are up 47% since the beginning of the year, gas prices are up 55% from a year ago, and hotel prices have gone up 33% since the beginning of the year.
Despite higher prices, people are still showing up to celebrate, making weddings larger than pre-pandemic levels.
The number of guests invited to a wedding this year is up. On average couples invite over 100 guests, Ma said. Many more people are turning up. This year's weddings are the first time a family has been together in two years. Follow her on Twitter at SeanaNSmith.