Weddings are always a time for celebration, but the feeling is even sweeter for couples who had to postpone their big day, in some cases multiple times, due to the pandemic.

The wedding business is having a comeback year in Carbon and Schuylkill counties after 14 months of restricted gatherings.

Brides are finally holding the large weddings that got pushed back, or having receptions with the family members who chose not to gather during the pandemic.

“All the weddings that were going to be in 2020 are going forward this year. People just wanted to get out. As soon as they could get something, these brides are ready to go,” said Megan Andersen of Porvaznik’s Flowers in Lansford.

Some wedding businesses have filled their calendars for 2021 and have scheduled bookings all the way into 2023. Weddings are also taking place outside the traditional months and days of the week that they would take place.

Vicki Klotz of VK Bridal Couture in Lehighton has been helping brides choose gowns for 30 years. So far, 2021 has been one of her busiest years.

“With weddings postponed from last year to this year, it was like doing double the amount you would normally do,” she said.

Wedding venues are so in demand that they have been booking weddings not only on Fridays and Mondays, but also midweek.

Catalpa Grove at Lakewood Park Campground, a wedding venue which holds 225 people, opened late last year. Owner Patty Roth said in the month of June they have events booked on all but seven days of the month.

The weddings have been a mix of couples who postponed their wedding from last year, large receptions for couples who held a small ceremony last fall, and new bookings.

“We thought, ‘if you build it, they will come,’ but never expected it in this quantity. It’s been great,” she said.

Mountain Valley Golf Course in Barnesville, also capable of hosting weddings with hundreds of guests, has also seen a big increase in its reservations, with some being scheduled in 2023 and 2024.

“People who have postponed their weddings are saying, ‘Now I can invite my grandparents.’ It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, so those couples want to share it with their entire family,” said Joanne Parulis, Mountain Valley’s director of marketing and communications.

Shelby Kramer Zomberg tied the knot with her husband, Zachary, at Catalpa Grove on a recent Friday, nearly a year to the day after she was originally scheduled to walk down the aisle. Her guest list of over 150 people in attendance would have been difficult to accommodate during the pandemic.

“It worked out perfect. I think it was meant to be this year anyway,” Zomberg said.

The businesses that serve weddings have welcomed the return of weddings. Ralph Richards owns Charles X. Block, a menswear store which has been located in Tamaqua for 99 years. They saw many weddings canceled or pushed into 2021.

“After 14 months and no weddings, it’s been a blessing for small businesses to get a doubling up in many of these top wedding months,” Richards said.

But it could also mean that couples just beginning to plan may have to experience delays of their own, like those who had to postpone their weddings last year.

Davey Gasker of 4D Karaoke/DJ Services and Entertainment said that it can be difficult for couples to plan weddings because venues and vendors are so in demand.

“I’m sure some of the brides and grooms that planned on a fall wedding this year will have to wait until springtime,” Gasker said.

Preston Christman runs Christman Photography with his wife, Laurette. They encourage couples to book as far as 15 months out from their wedding date, and they are already filling up their calendar for 2022.

But if the experience of couples who had their weddings postponed by the pandemic is any indication, the delay makes the wedding day that much more enjoyable. Zomberg said she used the extra time before her wedding to look for inspiration on Pinterest, and come up with ideas to make her day even more memorable.

“Just be patient, and know that everything is going to work out,” she said. “Everything I was a little worried about has worked perfectly. I’m lucky and blessed in that sense.”