Type All Day, Toast All Night: The Rise of Remote-Work Weddings

A growing number of wedding guests are bringing a new kind of plus-one to the festivities: their remote jobs.

When Anna Sullivan, a 25-year-old who works in digital marketing, and Taylor Brandenberger, a 26-year-old home inspector, got married last month in East Lansing, Mich., 10 of the bride’s friends started the wedding weekend a few days early. They rented an Airbnb where they could work remotely during the day and then got together for dinner and hangouts in the evening — all without taking any time off.

Many of the guests even stayed through Monday, flying home in the evening after they had logged off. “The wedding day goes by in a blur,” the bride, who has since changed her last name to Brandenberger, said. “Having the extra time with people was so valuable, especially waking up late Sunday and knowing they were still there.”

Since the height of the pandemic, remote work has dramatically changed both offices and those who work in them. After initially being forced to work from home, many employees now enjoy all-remote or hybrid schedules. According to the Pew Research Center, one-third of American workers currently have some freedom to work remotely, even if it is just one or two days a week.