Weddings rebound, live service

Wedding spending is rising again in 2026, and couples are putting more of that money where guests can see it: bigger rooms, fuller tables and food served live. (theknot.com) About 2 million United States couples married in 2025, generating more than $100 billion in wedding-related spending, according to WeddingPro’s 2026 vendor analysis. The same report put the average guest count at 117 and the average number of hired vendors at 13. (pros.weddingpro.com) The Knot’s 2026 Real Weddings Study, based on 10,474 United States couples married in 2025, found the average wedding cost reached $34,200. WeddingPro said couples spending more than $41,000 averaged 141 guests, while couples spending under $12,000 averaged 92 guests. (theknot.com) (pros.weddingpro.com) That split is showing up in catering. Zola’s 2026 First Look Report, based on a survey of more than 11,500 couples getting married in 2026, said the average wedding cost is holding at $36,000 and identified “hyper-personalized catering” as a defining trend. (zola.com) The Knot’s 2026 food trends report said couples are asking for menus that “tell a story,” interactive food stations, family-style dinners and late-night desserts. Its separate guide to food stations said couples are using chef-led setups and build-your-own formats as part meal and part entertainment. (theknot.com 1) (theknot.com 2) That change tracks with who is now planning weddings. Zola said Gen Z makes up the majority of engaged couples in its 2026 survey, and more than half now get wedding inspiration from TikTok, up from 41% a year earlier. (zola.com) Social media is pushing couples toward details that read well in photos and video, from oyster shucking bars to roaming desserts to plated dishes finished in front of guests. Zola said nearly half of surveyed couples increased their budgets to bring online inspiration to life. (zola.com) (theknot.com) The result is not a return to the old banquet-hall formula. The Knot said “cookie-cutter” weddings are giving way to more intentional, personalized events, even as the business itself remains large and stable. (theknot.com) For venues, caterers and planners, the 2026 wedding sale is no longer just a room, a buffet and a bar tab. It is a guest list of 117 people, on average, and a couple asking what part of dinner will become the moment everyone films. (pros.weddingpro.com) (zola.com)