‘Very crazy in a good way’: Kansas City wedding business booms after pandemic

Suit coats line the racks in both the front and back of Dan’s Clothier & Tailor in Lenexa and spill into piles on tables. The calendar Danny Assal uses to keep track of wedding attire alterations is overflowing with the 140 ceremonies he already has booked this year.

“I’m getting my butt kicked with weddings,” he joked.

It’s a far cry from the 35 weddings Assal, also known as DanDan the Tailor Man, did for 2020. It’s much more than even in a typical year, when he does closer to 50.

The peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year brought the weddings industry to a halt. What with all the gathering, traveling, eating and drinking involved, weddings were the antithesis of most COVID-19 precautions. People switched to Zoom and “minimonies,” pushed off their receptions or postponed their big days entirely.

With vaccination numbers on the rise and COVID case numbers on the decline, weddings are back in what Assal described as an “explosion of business.” The postponed ceremonies combined with new plans have created big demand that’s affecting all corners of the wedding industry.

The Pavilion, a Kansas City event space, has weekends booked until 2023, said owner Kacie McClusky. Despite how much she wants to accommodate everyone, she’s had to turn down 15 to 20 inquiries a day.

“I even have people calling in recently who aren’t even engaged yet,” she said. “That’s not even crazy anymore. That used to be a little crazy, that used to be a little overkill, but we don’t judge that anymore.”

She warned that popular venues and weekend dates will likely be off the table. Even newer venues are feeling the squeeze. The Farmhouse KC opened in the midst of the pandemic last year, and owner Shelby Vasko said it has seen more weddings this year than she expected.

“For us specifically, I always kind of want to be around a goal of 50 events a year. And in 2021, we have about 82 booked,” Vasko said. “So it’s definitely very busy, very crazy in a good way.”

Couples looking for a traditional wedding with all the bells and whistles may need to plan anywhere from a year to two years into the future, depending on who they ask.

For those who don’t want to wait that long, downsizing is an option. Kay Benjamin, owner of Take the Cake by Kay, said she’s been getting requests for smaller cakes with a shorter turnaround. Kindra Browne, owner of planning service Simple Elegance, recommended holding receptions in a local restaurant or backyard for people in a hurry.

While some people are sticking with the smaller ceremonies popularized in the past year, she said she’s seen a trend back toward pre-pandemic sized weddings.

“They are ready to celebrate,” Browne said.

This rush of demand has been creating extra work for people in the wedding industry.

Assal comes into his shop at 4 a.m. every day but Sunday to get to all his alterations. He averages 16 hours of work before going home to collapse into bed. When a wedding emergency comes up — a groomsman forgot a suit, someone gained weight since their alteration, a piece of fabric rips — he’s there to fix it. His phone rings every few minutes. He’s seen even more business because of sales he’s running in an effort to recoup what he lost last year.

He’s not one to complain, though.

“I really like it. It’s a lot of work, you don’t make a lot of money on it, but I see a lot of people and I’m happy to make everybody happy about weddings,” Assal said. “It’s not about the money anymore. It’s about making people happy, that’s all.”

He’s one of many who is just glad to see weddings happening again. Michelle Layman, co-owner and lead planner at Events by Elle, has been booking more weddings than she usually would to keep up with demand, but the thrill keeps her going.

“Actually, I love it,” she said. “A wedding day is always an adrenaline rush, so having one right after another — it’s fun. It is a little stressful, but we’ve also had all this time to plan.”

The work is compounded by the continuing effects of the pandemic: The national labor shortage has left some businesses wanting for help. There may also be delays in getting certain items, Browne said.

“You can imagine that we’re making phone calls, we’re trying to make sure everything gets in here, but our hands are also tied because we can’t go print fabric, or we can’t go make a linen,” Browne said. “So it’s really double the work even though the event is the same because there’s so much more double checking on everything.”

Several of the business owners predicted the demand will likely level out again in coming years, but until then, they asked people planning weddings to stay flexible and open-minded with their ideas and patient with their vendors.

“If you see a wedding vendor, just give them a hug. That’s all I’m telling you,” Browne said, speaking metaphorically, since some COVID-19 precautions are still in place. “We all need love right now.”