© 2026 ABC News

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Mueller and Reisman said that flowers weren't planted. In California, where a lot of flowers are grown, a severe drought and wildfires also impacted the supply.

Mueller and Reisman explained that production on items such as vases and glue to make corsages were put on pause during the pandemic.

\"It's kind of a perfect storm of all these factors increasing our prices,\" Reisman said.

Keeping up with traditions on a budget

The soaring costs have put a strain on couples. Sravya Vishnubhatla, a Desi bride having a Hindu wedding, which is typically a multiday celebration with hundreds of guests, told \"GMA\" that she's had to drop some of the things on her wedding wishlist to cut down the costs.

\"I'm definitely forgoing maybe like a certain type of vision,\" said Vishnubhatla, who is getting married in May in Nevada. \"I very carefully lifted up the hours [of our photographer and videographer] that they need to be there. Another thing that I am actually compromising on is on the decor for my reception. I'm probably not going to go with like heavy floral decor.\"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sravya Vishnubhatla (@itssravs)

Over the years, the South Asian wedding industry has grown into a $50 billion business, according to Vogue Business. In the U.S., South Asian couples can easily spend between $225,000 and $285,000 on their wedding if it's being held in major metro areas including Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey, according to wedding planner and event coordinator Marisa Jenkins, author of the blog, Wedding Frontier.

To help curb costs, Vishnubhatla had her dad do some of the wedding shopping for her outfits while on a recent trip to India. Vishnubhatla said it's typical for South Asian brides to travel to India for wedding elements, but because of COVID-19 she was unsure if she would be able to make the trip.

\"I got really lucky because my dad went to India, so he was able to shop. If he hadn't gone to India, it seemed like we would have had to either buy online from India and ship it or shop somewhere online in the states where it's overpriced,\" she said.

In January, Vishnubhatla took to TikTok to share the reality of the expense of South Asian wedding traditions after other brides weighed in on the cost of their weddings. Vishnubhatla pointed out that certain costs for a Western wedding aren't the same for Hindu weddings. Since then, she's brought people along with her wedding journey to shed light on what goes into planning a Hindu wedding and what brides have to include in their budgets.

@itssravs Budgeting for your Desi Wedding pt 1 #budget #desi #indianwedding #shaadi #telugu #weddingbudget #bridetobe #browntikktok #greenscreen #diyprojects ♬ Aesthetic Girl - Yusei

\"I realized that there's just not many resources in the states, from what we could find, for brides,\" Vishnubhatla said. \"I felt like it would be useful and helpful for other Indian girls who are getting married.\"

Play the patience game and 'invest in what feels personal to you'

With the cost of weddings on the rise in 2022, McMurray said those planning weddings may see a relief in 2024.

\"The influx of weddings you're seeing this year is all pent-up demand, and there's not more people getting married [in general]. In fact, there's less people getting married than there have been in many years,\" McMurray said. \"So you'll see this spread out over 2023, maybe it will trickle into 2024, likely not. But after that, it's probably just going to continue to get back to normal with a continuous decline.\"

For now, McMurray advises that couples stay patient as they find vendors for their weddings within their budget. And if their wedding is in 2024, the best thing they could probably do is wait to book things for their wedding until later.

\"I know that's hard to do sometimes, and that's actually what's driving up spending right now are costs because people don't want to be patient,\" McMurray said.

Mueller and Reisman also advised couples to beware of repurposing certain items from your ceremony to wedding reception spaces. While many think repurposing flowers or decorations may be a way to cut costs, it can also mean that it will take more labor to move those items and can cost more money in the end.

In addition, be aware of what you see on social media and try not to be influenced by what is trending as certain designs may only feel trendy in the moment and may be beyond your budget. Instead, opt for flowers that are in season and designs that have a classic or timeless feel.

\"Invest in what feels personal to you,\" Reisman said. \"If it doesn't, don't spend money on it. If it does, spend money on it.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Living/inflation-supply-chain-issues-send-2022-wedding-costs/story?id=84250891","legacySlug":"/living/story/inflation-supply-chain-issues-send-2022-wedding-costs-84250891","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"08:12","publishDate":"04-25-2022","updatedTime":"13:03","updatedDate":"04-25-2022","socialImage":{"alt":"","credit":"STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/wedding-flowers-stock-01-gty-jef-220421_1650577253627_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/25/2022 08:12:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":84250891,"headline":"Here's what's driving high costs of 2022 weddings","mediaAssetTitle":"220425 WEDDING COSTS GMA","description":"More than 2 million weddings are estimated to take place in 2022.","duration":"4:53","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/04/220425_gma_bergamotto_0840_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Here's what's driving high costs of 2022 weddings","description":"More than 2 million weddings are estimated to take place in 2022.","duration":"4:53","uploadDate":"04-25-2022","publication":"04-25-2022","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/04/220425_gma_bergamotto_0840_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/04/220425_gma_bergamotto_0840_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/inflation-supply-chain-issues-send-2022-wedding-costs-84250891"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132569874","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132567885","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:living:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"living","title":"Here's what's driving high costs of 2022 weddings","pubTime":"04:12","pubDate":"04-25-2022","modTime":"09:03","modDate":"04-25-2022","taxonomyTags":"none","id":84250891,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Here's what's driving high costs of 2022 weddings","mediaAssetTitle":"220425 WEDDING COSTS GMA","videoId":84250891,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/living/story/inflation-supply-chain-issues-send-2022-wedding-costs-84250891"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/84250891","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/84250891","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};