Weddings in the post-pandemic era have seen a rise in extravagance, with the average cost of a ceremony and reception reaching $35,000 in 2023, an increase of $5,000 from the previous year. This trend has led to a significant number of couples taking on debt, with 67% of newlyweds reporting wedding-related debt. A third of these couples overspent, often feeling pressured to impress guests. Bank of America data shows wedding-related spending per customer increased by 8.5% year-over-year through May 2026, twice the growth seen in the preceding two years, with the average U.S. wedding costing $36,000 in 2025.
Despite the rising costs, some individuals are leveraging the wedding industry for side income. For example, a couple in Southern California started a photo booth business in March 2023 to pay off student loans. Their rates begin around $1,250 for four hours, and they initially invested $15,000 to $20,000, which they have since paid off. They now own three photo booths and employ three part-time staff, sometimes triple-booking during peak seasons, indicating a strong demand for such services. Approximately 22% of weddings request photo booths.
Another entrepreneurial venture is Anne Marie Carroll's Wedding Weekender, launched in April 2025. This service rents out camcorders to couples for their weddings and edits the footage. Carroll invested about $970 initially and generated roughly 36 times that in sales by the end of May 2025. Viral TikTok videos contributed to an early surge in orders, bringing in over $36,000 in sales within 10 days. By March 2026, the business surpassed $1 million in sales, reaching $1.7 million just shy of its one-year mark. The core package, which includes a one-week camcorder rental and a three-to-five-minute edited video, costs $729. This offers a more affordable alternative to traditional wedding videographers, who charge an average of nearly $4,000 nationwide. Carroll's success allowed her to transition Wedding Weekender from a side hustle to her full-time job by July 2025, and she reported paying more in taxes for 2025 than her previous annual salary, highlighting the significant income potential.
