The wedding rebound in Minnesota 

A man and woman walk down the aisle
A couple getting married at St. Constantine’s Ukrainian Church in April, 2021.
Tiger Lily Photography

It’s turning into a boom year for weddings.

Many engaged couples canceled their weddings in 2020 or simply delayed tying the knot because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now they’re making plans to celebrate in 2022. 

Minnesota weddings took a dip in 2020, came back in 2021 and are revving up in 2022 with a predicted 33,000 weddings this year, up about 13 percent from pre-pandemic numbers, according to The Wedding Report, a trade group that gathers data by surveying couples and wedding vendors. 

The pandemic trends of small weddings and elopements are still popular. But big bashes are back, too. The average cost of a Minnesota wedding in 2021 was close to $25,000 and the median cost was about $15,000, according to The Wedding Report.

woman with clipboard stands next to women in bridal dress
Mary Carlson, left, is a wedding planner and owner of Pure Event Planning in Duluth.
Alyssa Lund Photography

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two wedding planners about how couples are celebrating their marriages.   

A woman poses with flowers
Josey Stafford is a wedding planner and owner of Sixpence Events & Planning based in Bloomington.
Julia Mary Photography

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