Kelly Elizabeth planned on dazzling guests at her Newport, R.I., wedding with wines from France and Italy that matched each person’s preference. She was narrowing in on European vendors when her fantasy was shattered by an uninvited guest: President Trump, who in April announced a 20% duty on European imports.
While most of Trump’s tariffs have been put on pause, so have Elizabeth’s dreams of Bordeaux and Chianti.
“When you hear about these tariffs, you want to evaluate everything,” said the 30-year-old, who works in corporate communications.
Brides are buckling under the uncertainty over tariffs, which are threatening to push costs to new heights as wedding season kicks off. They are panic-buying candles and speed-ordering wedding dresses. They are downgrading from roses to carnations, cutting back on party favors and ditching the professional videographer for a guy with a smartphone.
In Elizabeth’s case, the European wines were scrapped for American ones. She nixed the personalized T-shirts she’d hoped to give guests and will hand out cookies instead. She bulk-ordered napkins and tablecloths and found other ways to cut her “tablescape” budget.
“I’m a design-heavy bride, but I figured I don’t need to order 200 wicker chargers,” said Elizabeth.
For some brides who set budgets before April, the tariff announcements pushed their big day from expensive to out of reach. “I honestly was freaking out,” said Marissa Da Silva, a 31-year-old in Stevensville, Md., who is getting married in September.
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