Latest news with #AllisonKrivachek
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What parts of a wedding budget are tariffs affecting? We explain
Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story misidentified the year covered by a survey. It has been corrected in the story. As a florist, Allison Krivachek is doing her best to navigate tariff increases to imported flowers to keep costs for her brides and grooms down. As a bride-to-be, Krivachek is also trying to make choices to keep her July wedding budget from increasing. Brides, grooms and wedding vendors are in similar boats as prices for imported goods and tariffs add more costs to an already expensive life event. Many different aspects of the wedding day will be affected by tariffs, including alcohol, flowers, the wedding dress and goods such as centerpiece decorations if they are imported, according to The Knot, a wedding website. As much as 80% of cut flowers are imported from other countries and 90% of wedding gowns sold in the U.S. are imported, according to The Knot, which could hike up wedding costs. In a survey of 741 engaged brides and grooms users of The Knot, shared exclusively with USA TODAY, 73% of couples said keeping costs within their budget were the top concern, while 46% said economic factors such as inflation were a major concern. Thirty-four percent were concerned about the rising costs of goods that could impact weddings though price changes specifically due to tariffs were less of a concern with 15% of couples mentioning it. More than half of engaged couples (58%) said they hadn't seen tariffs impact their weddings yet, but 36% said they were making changes to their plans due to economic stress. Of those couples, 22% are adjusting their budgets while 68% said they were increasing their budgets. Rather than cutting back, many couples responded to the concerns of looming tariffs by taking the proactive steps like booking early and consulting pros. About 1 in 3 couples are purchasing items earlier to lock in pricing. Many are opting for U.S.-made or local products to offset import costs. 28% of couples are slightly reducing guest count by an average 25 people, or 12 couples, not wanting to sacrifice the guest experience (average 112 guests). Vendors are good about helping couples figure out ways to make changes to suit their budget or plan for increases, said Lauren Kay, executive editor of The Knot. "They want to help you have the best wedding ever and they want to help you pull that off, whether that's avoiding a tariff or making a trade off so your budget isn't terribly impacted," Kay told USA TODAY. Couples do not seem to be panicking, Kay said, as they deal with another moment in wedding planning. "It's not so much of a concern about the tariffs, itself, but just thinking about how we are going to plan our weddings and stay within budget with all of the economic factors that we're facing today," she said. The average U.S. wedding in 2024 costs $33,000, down slightly from $35,000 for 2023, according to The Knot's Real Weddings 2025 Study. Some vendors, like Krivachek, are already starting to see those increases. "When they first came out, it was like, oh my gosh, this is going to be really devastating. We were seeing anywhere from 10% to 25%, and when you're talking about a wedding in flowers, when it's $5,000 plus, that 10% to 25%... really adds up quickly," said Krivachek, referring to the average floral budget for weddings. Some suppliers have also used the tariff news to unfairly raise prices as much as double, Krivachek said. A lot of florists and couples have been panicking on how to offset tariff increases and checking contract language, which may allow vendors to raise prices due to market fluctuations, she said. Krivachek said she and other wedding vendors learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that they had to include a clause in their contracts to allow for unexpected market pricing fluctuations. She added she's communicated with consumers about other options, rather than pass tariff-related prices to prospective brides and grooms. "They can either up their budget to keep everything the same or we can sub with local varieties, which I've been loving and it's really been a positive thing for local growers," Krivachek said. She has told some brides, especially those with winter weddings, that if their heart is set on a particular type of flower that cannot be grown domestically in the winter, they will have to increase their budget. Krivachek is also getting married in July. Her floral budget is the largest portion of her budget at a hefty $36,000, partially because she feels like she needs to make a statement as a florist. She's made some adjustments to keep her budget the same, including using a lot of landscaping plants and bushes. "I'm excited about that because I want to make that a trend where you use these flowers and bushes that you get to take home and plant and remember your wedding and have it be sustainable," she said. She has also reduced the number of imported cut flowers she is getting to stay within her budget. She has not seen any tariff-related increases on other parts of her wedding budget, she said. Uncomfortable Conversations: Being a bridesmaid is expensive. Can or should you say no? A lot of the components to design and make a gown come from various countries, so between the materials and the execution of the product being made and transported, tariffs impact the price, said Nayri Kalayjian, owner of Lovella Bridal in Los Angeles. "Price increases are everywhere, so the wedding industry is no different, no matter where the gown is being manufactured," she said. Some designers are doing a straight price increase while others have added a percentage for the tariffs, she said. Kalayjian said she's seen some tariff surcharges anywhere from 10% to 35%. But typically bridal boutiques see price increases multiple times a year, regardless of tariffs, Kalayjian said. Kalayjian said she often tells brides if they see a dress they absolutely love, don't wait too long or it could be discontinued or increase in price. Bridal gowns are also taking longer to make since they are all custom-ordered, she said. The turnaround time is typically six to eight months. However, Kalayjian also said there are dresses at every price point for every budget, even with price increases. Brides can often get sample dresses at steep discounts, she said. (This story has been updated to correct an error.) Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How are tariffs impacting weddings? We explain.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What parts of a wedding budget are tariffs affecting? We explain
As a florist, Allison Krivachek is doing her best to navigate tariff increases to imported flowers to keep costs for her brides and grooms down. As a bride-to-be, Krivachek is also trying to make choices to keep her July wedding budget from increasing. Brides, grooms and wedding vendors are in similar boats as prices for imported goods and tariffs add more costs to an already expensive life event. Many different aspects of the wedding day will be affected by tariffs, including alcohol, flowers, the wedding dress and goods such as centerpiece decorations if they are imported, according to The Knot, a wedding website. As much as 80% of cut flowers are imported from other countries and 90% of wedding gowns sold in the U.S. are imported, according to The Knot, which could hike up wedding costs. In a survey of 741 engaged brides and grooms users of The Knot, shared exclusively with USA TODAY, 73% of couples said keeping costs within their budget were the top concern, while 46% said economic factors such as inflation were a major concern. Thirty-four percent were concerned about the rising costs of goods that could impact weddings though price changes specifically due to tariffs were less of a concern with 15% of couples mentioning it. More than half of engaged couples (58%) said they hadn't seen tariffs impact their weddings yet, but 36% said they were making changes to their plans due to economic stress. Of those couples, 22% are adjusting their budgets while 68% said they were increasing their budgets. Rather than cutting back, many couples responded to the concerns of looming tariffs by taking the proactive steps like booking early and consulting pros. About 1 in 3 couples are purchasing items earlier to lock in pricing. Many are opting for U.S.-made or local products to offset import costs. 28% of couples are slightly reducing guest count by an average 25 people, or 12 couples, not wanting to sacrifice the guest experience (average 112 guests). Vendors are good about helping couples figure out ways to make changes to suit their budget or plan for increases, said Lauren Kay, executive editor of The Knot. "They want to help you have the best wedding ever and they want to help you pull that off, whether that's avoiding a tariff or making a trade off so your budget isn't terribly impacted," Kay told USA TODAY. Couples do not seem to be panicking, Kay said, as they deal with another moment in wedding planning. "It's not so much of a concern about the tariffs, itself, but just thinking about how we are going to plan our weddings and stay within budget with all of the economic factors that we're facing today," she said. The average U.S. wedding in 2025 costs $33,000, down slightly from $35,000 for 2024, according to The Knot's Real Weddings Study. Some vendors, like Krivachek, are already starting to see those increases. "When they first came out, it was like, oh my gosh, this is going to be really devastating. We were seeing anywhere from 10% to 25%, and when you're talking about a wedding in flowers, when it's $5,000 plus, that 10% to 25%... really adds up quickly," said Krivachek, referring to the average floral budget for weddings. Some suppliers have also used the tariff news to unfairly raise prices as much as double, Krivachek said. A lot of florists and couples have been panicking on how to offset tariff increases and checking contract language, which may allow vendors to raise prices due to market fluctuations, she said. Krivachek said she and other wedding vendors learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that they had to include a clause in their contracts to allow for unexpected market pricing fluctuations. She added she's communicated with consumers about other options, rather than pass tariff-related prices to prospective brides and grooms. "They can either up their budget to keep everything the same or we can sub with local varieties, which I've been loving and it's really been a positive thing for local growers," Krivachek said. She has told some brides, especially those with winter weddings, that if their heart is set on a particular type of flower that cannot be grown domestically in the winter, they will have to increase their budget. Krivachek is also getting married in July. Her floral budget is the largest portion of her budget at a hefty $36,000, partially because she feels like she needs to make a statement as a florist. She's made some adjustments to keep her budget the same, including using a lot of landscaping plants and bushes. "I'm excited about that because I want to make that a trend where you use these flowers and bushes that you get to take home and plant and remember your wedding and have it be sustainable," she said. She has also reduced the number of imported cut flowers she is getting to stay within her budget. She has not seen any tariff-related increases on other parts of her wedding budget, she said. Uncomfortable Conversations: Being a bridesmaid is expensive. Can or should you say no? A lot of the components to design and make a gown come from various countries, so between the materials and the execution of the product being made and transported, tariffs impact the price, said Nayri Kalayjian, owner of Lovella Bridal in Los Angeles. "Price increases are everywhere, so the wedding industry is no different, no matter where the gown is being manufactured," she said. Some designers are doing a straight price increase while others have added a percentage for the tariffs, she said. Kalayjian said she's seen some tariff surcharges anywhere from 10% to 35%. But typically bridal boutiques see price increases multiple times a year, regardless of tariffs, Kalayjian said. Kalayjian said she often tells brides if they see a dress they absolutely love, don't wait too long or it could be discontinued or increase in price. Bridal gowns are also taking longer to make since they are all custom-ordered, she said. The turnaround time is typically six to eight months. However, Kalayjian also said there are dresses at every price point for every budget, even with price increases. Brides can often get sample dresses at steep discounts, she said. Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How are tariffs impacting weddings? We explain.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Price of Some Mother's Day Flowers Skyrockets in 2025
If you've bought the mother or mothers in your life flowers for Mother's Day 2025, you may have been in for a little sticker shock. If so, you're not alone. According to CNN, the price of some flowers on Mother's Day has skyrocketed amid tariff wars. Some people are forgoing buying flowers completely due to rising costs. According to CNN, some florists "are raising the prices of some flowers and causing some wary shoppers to pull back on spending." 'We have to charge more, and it's definitely affecting sales — which I totally get,' Allison Krivachek of Hydrangea Bloom in Iowa, told CNN. 'People just don't have the disposable income they used to.' CNN reported that Krivacheck described prices this year as 'ridiculously different,' and CNN reported that lisianthus flowers "have doubled in price," according to the florist, with roses "up anywhere from 10% to 50% compared to last year." 'It seems like the prices have went up a lot,' said customer Tirrell Butler to ABC 10. 'The flowers are like $40 just for a small thing of flowers, so it's like everything has gone up.' Since most cut flowers come from other countries, some florists in the U.S. are trying to find wild and local flowers instead for Mother's Day, CBS News reported. There are conflicting reports about whether consumers are spending less as a result, though. Lending Tree announced that "71% of Americans will give gifts this year," on Mother's Day, "mostly to their moms (42%), spouses/partners (17%) and mothers-in-law (12%). On average, gifters will spend $148. That's down 14% from $172 in 2023 and 34% from $225 in 2022." However, The National Retail Federation offered better spending news. "As with previous years, 84% of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday. On average, those celebrating plan to spend $259.04 on Mother's Day gifts and celebrations, about $5 more than they budgeted in 2024," it reported. 'It's just really weird that there's been such a jump because the tariffs aren't that much. And I don't know if they're raising their prices because of supply and demand,' Krivachek said to CNN. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mother's Day flowers have historically come to the U.S. through imports. "Many bouquets contain flowers grown in countries where cool, wet climates have historically favored production," USDA reported. "In fiscal year 2022, the United States imported nearly $3.3 billion worth of cut flowers, plants, and nursery stock products from 81 countries. Imports of fresh-cut roses totaled more than $800 million, while other fresh-cut flowers such as chrysanthemums, carnations, and lilies were valued at a combined $1.1 billion." According to the USDA, South American countries are leading suppliers of cut flowers to the U.S. "Of the many countries supplying flowers and other nursery stock, Colombia made up the largest import value at $1.2 billion. From 2018 to 2022, Colombia provided about 37 percent of U.S. cut flower and nursery stock value," the USDA reported. "Other leading suppliers in 2022 included Canada, Ecuador, and the European Union, as well as smaller supplying countries of Mexico, Taiwan, and Costa Rica." Colombia and Ecuador, where most cut flowers come from to the U.S. today, have been hit with tariffs, CNN reported.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tariffs could take the bloom off Mother's Day flowers
Mother's Day is busy season for American florists. But this year, there's an added source of stress: President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, which are raising the prices of some flowers and causing some wary shoppers to pull back on spending. 'We have to charge more, and it's definitely affecting sales — which I totally get,' Allison Krivachek of Hydrangea Bloom in Tiffin, Iowa, told CNN. 'People just don't have the disposable income they used to.' Eighty percent of all cut flowers sold in the United States are imported from Colombia, Canada or Ecuador, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The majority of those flowers come from Colombia and Ecuador, where year-round growing climates support the floral industry. Those countries now face tariffs making it more expensive for their products to enter the United States. And Mother's Day spending has dropped 14% among US shoppers as many are scaling back due to tariffs and economic concerns, according to a LendingTree survey. America imported approximately $2.26 billion worth of fresh-cut flowers in 2024, with Colombia accounting for 60% of the market and Ecuador following with 25%, according to US Census Bureau data. Debra Prinzing, founder of the Slow Flowers Society and a leading advocate for American-grown flowers, said the US floral industry was built to rely on imports. 'Don't like it, but that's just the reality,' Prinzing told CNN. 'Ridiculously different,' is how Krivachek describes this year's price hike. Flowers such as lisianthus have doubled in price, Krivachek said, and roses are up anywhere from 10% to 50% compared to last year. She believes the price hikes are higher than what would be reflected in a 10% tariff. 'It's just really weird that there's been such a jump because the tariffs aren't that much. And I don't know if they're raising their prices because of supply and demand,' she said. As a result, she's raised the price of her most popular Mother's Day arrangement from $100 to $125 this year. And despite efforts to be transparent with customers, demand has taken a hit. 'We're down quite a bit,' Krivachek said. 'We're down about 30% year-over-year on this Mother's Day compared to other Mother's Days.' Many customers are now buying flowers to craft their own arrangements, according to Krivachek. The Society of American Florists told CNN florists and wholesalers across the country are adapting to the new financial pressures — much like they did during the pandemic and other supply chain disruptions. 'While tariffs and cost increases are not welcome developments, the floral industry is remarkably resilient,' the society told CNN in a statement. Florists are ordering products earlier, strengthening relationships with growers and wholesalers and planning further in advance to manage costs, the society said. While Krivachek has felt the pressure, she's found ways to adjust, such as by sourcing from local flower farmers. 'I'm still going to have to import flowers,' she said. 'I'm in Iowa, so there's not a lot of variety, especially with weddings. There's certain flowers that only you can get from Ecuador and Colombia.' Sign in to access your portfolio
CNN
10-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Tariffs could take the bloom off Mother's Day flowers
Mother's Day is busy season for American florists. But this year, there's an added source of stress: President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, which are raising the prices of some flowers and causing some wary shoppers to pull back on spending. 'We have to charge more, and it's definitely affecting sales — which I totally get,' Allison Krivachek of Hydrangea Bloom in Tiffin, Iowa, told CNN. 'People just don't have the disposable income they used to.' Eighty percent of all cut flowers sold in the United States are imported from Colombia, Canada or Ecuador, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The majority of those flowers come from Colombia and Ecuador, where year-round growing climates support the floral industry. Those countries now face tariffs making it more expensive for their products to enter the United States. And Mother's Day spending has dropped 14% among US shoppers as many are scaling back due to tariffs and economic concerns, according to a LendingTree survey. America imported approximately $2.26 billion worth of fresh-cut flowers in 2024, with Colombia accounting for 60% of the market and Ecuador following with 25%, according to US Census Bureau data. Debra Prinzing, founder of the Slow Flowers Society and a leading advocate for American-grown flowers, said the US floral industry was built to rely on imports. 'Don't like it, but that's just the reality,' Prinzing told CNN. 'Ridiculously different,' is how Krivachek describes this year's price hike. Flowers such as lisianthus have doubled in price, Krivachek said, and roses are up anywhere from 10% to 50% compared to last year. She believes the price hikes are higher than what would be reflected in a 10% tariff. 'It's just really weird that there's been such a jump because the tariffs aren't that much. And I don't know if they're raising their prices because of supply and demand,' she said. As a result, she's raised the price of her most popular Mother's Day arrangement from $100 to $125 this year. And despite efforts to be transparent with customers, demand has taken a hit. 'We're down quite a bit,' Krivachek said. 'We're down about 30% year-over-year on this Mother's Day compared to other Mother's Days.' Many customers are now buying flowers to craft their own arrangements, according to Krivachek. The Society of American Florists told CNN florists and wholesalers across the country are adapting to the new financial pressures — much like they did during the pandemic and other supply chain disruptions. 'While tariffs and cost increases are not welcome developments, the floral industry is remarkably resilient,' the society told CNN in a statement. Florists are ordering products earlier, strengthening relationships with growers and wholesalers and planning further in advance to manage costs, the society said. While Krivachek has felt the pressure, she's found ways to adjust, such as by sourcing from local flower farmers. 'I'm still going to have to import flowers,' she said. 'I'm in Iowa, so there's not a lot of variety, especially with weddings. There's certain flowers that only you can get from Ecuador and Colombia.'
