MYNORTHWEST BLOG

Washington is great for weddings and divorces

Feb 1, 2018, 8:48 AM | Updated: Feb 2, 2018, 1:36 pm

Here’s some advice: Get into the marriage business. Most folks know that weddings are a gold mine with couples spending as much as $35,000 on the event. Washington is not only a great state for the big day, but as it turns out, it’s also efficient at processing a lot of divorce papers.

That’s a win-win if you corner both markets.

RELATED: Hand make your own wedding rings in Port Townsend

Using 23 factors, the folks at WalletHub calculated the best places in America to get hitched. They considered things like wedding costs, facilities, and area activities. Seattle comes in at No. 12 on the list.

Ranking 12th (out of 182) is quite profitable. You got wedding planners, event rentals, music (get a band), or even just a tent supplier (to address all the rain). Not to mention all the romantic bodies of water and mountains we have to set the scene.

On the other hand in marriage

While Seattle ranks No. 12 for great weddings, other cities in Washington rank even higher when it comes to divorce. Using 2016 census data, Consumer Advocate found three Washington cities among a national list for towns with the most divorcees.

  • 11. Vancouver: 14.98 percent divorced; 48.95 percent married; 30.6 percent single
  • 6. Tacoma: 15.28 percent divorced; 43.34 percent married; 35.95 percent single
  • 1. Spokane: 15.92 percent divorced; 44.13 percent married; 33.94 percent single

Oddly enough, the same cities also showed up on WalletHub’s Best Places to Get Married list, though they’re not nearly as highly ranked. Spokane is 54th on WalletHub’s list. The same goes for Vancouver — ranked 115th for weddings. Tacoma comes in at 135th.

Related: What’s the deal with romantic Port Gamble?

The best spot for your relationship business, however, is in Vancouver / Portland. Consider this — while Vancouver is 11th for divorces, just across the Columbia River is Portland, which ranks No. 10 for best places to get married. That’s like one-stop shopping for all your relationship needs! Imagine a tax-free wedding shop at Jantzen Beach and an office for divorce just across the bridge next to Joe’s Crab Shack.

In case it’s not obvious by my status as an online writer, I am not actually a good source for business advice. I am divorced, however, so take it for what it is.

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Washington is great for weddings and divorces