Why Couples Wait to Book

The pandemic might be over, but we’re still feeling the ripple effects. 

Anyone with kids who were supposed to be in school for the second half of 2020 and most of 2021 know what I’m talking about. I’m reading a book called “The Stolen Year” because it’s so terrible for our educational system as a whole.

The economy is…confused. Some signs point good, others not so good. Even the decision-makers aren’t sure what the hell is going on, which means their uncertainty creates unpredictability in the markets. Never a good thing for businesses.

In the wedding industry, specifically, one of the ripple effects is couples taking longer to make decisions. Some of this is related to the horror stories their friends shared or family members went through with their own weddings between 2020 and 2022. 

I have a family member who just got back from Mexico celebrating her friend’s 40th birthday. Why Mexico? Because the friend had put a deposit down on a venue at a resort, but they didn’t end up doing the wedding there and the resort wouldn’t refund (only credit) the couple. So the friends grouped together to do the vacation there, used her credit, and then venmoed her their share with actual money so she could get the cash back.

So if you think couples are “over” the pandemic, you’re not seeing things from their perspective. It lives on, like a recurring nightmare we’re all trudging through. 

But how else are post-pandemic ripple effects impacting our industry and your business? Listen in today for some explanations and insights - as well as what to do about certain buyer behavior that makes it hard (and now hardER) to make decisions.