The pandemic put a pause on weddings, leading to a wedding boom in 2022. Now the annual number of weddings has returned to normal levels, but couples are increasingly likely to ditch tradition in favor of personalizing the venue, the ceremony and even the food. Instead of feeling obligated to invite every coworker and second cousin, micro weddings with 50 or fewer people are becoming popular, with an emphasis on what wedding planners call "focused lavishness" (p. 15). Plated dinners have been replaced by grazing tables and interactive dining experiences, often incorporating the couple's favorite foods or family recipes, and dessert buffets have taken the place of traditional wedding cakes (p. 13). Fortunately, another trend is a growing acceptance of premarital counseling, with some couples opting to devote as much time and energy to what happens after the wedding as on the big day (p. 17). – Michelle Ownbey, publisher
