Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I I N O. V I I I A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 2 2 12 H O S P I TA L I T Y / T O U R I S M T he marriage business is no longer on the rocks. "I thought I was going to have a mellow winter and spring, but 2021 was bananas and 2022 is crazy and I haven't had a minute to breathe," says Meghan Carey, a Portland-based wedding-invita- tion designer who's already had 13 clients since starting her business last fall. With more than 2.5 million U.S. weddings expected this year after COVID's losses and disruptions, ven- dors in Maine from events companies to planners have their hands full. "Everybody keeps calling this a boom year. is is not a boom year — this is a recovery year," says Fausto Pifferer, co-founder of Blue Elephant Events & Catering in Saco. "We're still putting in the pavement to fix the cracks, and I think we'll see a recovery of the indus- try in 2023 and 2024 if we don't get hit with a recession." While Goldman Sachs economists have put a 35% probability on a U.S. recession next year and cut growth forecasts amid soaring oil prices and other fallout from the war in Ukraine, an estimated 2.6 million weddings are forecast to take place in the United F O C U S Fausto Pifferer, left, and Reuben Bell of Blue Elephant Events & Catering in Saco, said they had to raise prices by more than 20% to cover increased costs for food and staffing. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY S O U R C E : Wedding Report S O U R C E : The Knot 2021 Real Weddings Study, published in February 2022. TOP 2022 U.S. WEDDING DATES 2022 WEDDING MONTH DISTRIBUTION MAINE WEDDINGS BY THE NUMBERS 4% January 5% February 5% March 9% April 11% May 12% June 8% July 9% August 11% September 17% October 7% November 2% December May 21 June 18 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 22 2021 saw 8,962 weddings in Maine, ranking it 41st in weddings per state. Maine's average weddings cost $20,898 in 2021, ranking it 31st in cost nationally. Surging demand keeps Maine wedding vendors busy, fuels recovery hopes B Y R E N E E C O R D E S

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