SPOKANE, Wash. — Trying to plan a wedding is proving to be harder than normal right now. Large gatherings were slim to none in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. With vaccination rates reaching 70% across the country, weddings seem to be making a comeback in 2021.
Paige Martin has been a wedding planner for 5 years. She was furloughed from her job in Texas after COVID-19 hit. That's when she decided to moved back to Spokane and run her own business. Now, she's busier than ever.
"I’ve been open 9 months now and I booked 36 weddings," she said. "I'm booked out until august 2022.”
A good amount of the business Martin is getting is coming from couples who had to reschedule their weddings in 2020. She said about 20% of the weddings she's booked are couples who postponed their wedding last year.
Martin also said she has so many brides reaching out, she's been having to turn them away at least three times a week.
Local vendors are seeing similar trends. Martin said the vendors she works with are booked solid.
"Some of them are booked out until 2023," she said, adding that they're in a similar scenario and "booking like crazy".