A destination-ish wedding with a hint of nostalgia: Jersey Shore weddings have become booming business
About 7,200 couples got married in the Jersey Shore area in 2023, up from 4,800 in 2019, according to data from wedding planning website The Knot, based on locations listed on users’ wedding websites. New and established Shore venues are looking to expand beyond the traditional wedding season of May to October, advertising deals and touting the increased intimacy that comes with an off-peak wedding. For venue executives, winter weddings — even at discounted rates — can be big money makers during otherwise slow times, bringing in revenue not just from the wedding events but also from the influx of hotel guests., November and December weddings have become increasingly popular.
In the less traditional wedding months, The Reeds also offers per-person rates closer to $175, compared to $232 during the peak season .The draw of the Shore wedding, no matter the cost or sacrifice “I feel like eight out of 10 people you ask ‘Where is your happy place?’ and they’ll say by the water,” said Englesbe, owner of Alexa Lynn Photography.“Growing up, I remember sitting on the beach with my grandparents and saying, ‘I am going to get married down here some day,’” said Cassidy Bonner, a 26-year-old Doylestown native.