What the Wedding Industry Can Learn from Etsy Witches

Nestled behind a New York Times paywall this past Halloween, we found an intriguing piece of wedding industry news: Increasingly, engaged couples are hiring witches from Etsy to cast weather spells for their weddings. 

These witchy wedding practitioners give no guarantee of success, yet an Etsy spokesperson says searches for online spells are up 206% from last year.

See the NYT article: “Hiring Etsy Witches to Conjure Up Good Wedding Weather”

It’s got us wondering – how popular is the online wedding spell trend, really? Will we see Etsy witches tabling at events like Wedding MBA, or will this fad fade faster than punny wedding hashtags and pampas grass?

More importantly, though, should the wedding industry be learning something from the viral ‘Etsy witch’ wedding trend?  

We decided to inhextigate.

Above: A bride shares her success hiring an Etsy witch for good wedding weather. (TikTok)

How Deep Does the Wedding Weather Spell Trend Go?

At the risk of sounding out of touch, we didn’t realize just how popular ‘good weather spells’ were until a quick Etsy search instantly returned hundreds of results. Type in any variation of ‘wedding weather spell,’ ‘good wedding spell,’ or ‘good weather spell’ into Etsy, eBay, or any browser's search bar, and you’ll see what we mean.

Many of these online weather spells are advertised with uncanny AI-generated images of wedding parties or stock images of brides and grooms basking in sunlight – obviously marketed toward anxious couples planning outdoor weddings or photo sessions.

Some shopfronts try to stand out by offering same-day results, steep discounts, or photographic proof that a spell has been cast in your name. Some shops claim to have made 6,000 to 10,000 unique sales, while others boast thousands of positive customer reviews and 4.9 ratings. You pay the shop a fee, and they'll perform a ritual for you from wherever they are.

Related: Wiccan Wedding Spell – A Handfasting Love Spell

But it’s not just weather spells. A deeper look reveals other online wedding spells for sale too. There are numerous shops offering marriage proposal spells and proposal conjuring oils. There are engagement rings inscribed with love spells, and wedding date astrology readings offered by earthy-looking female avatars. There are wedding crystal kits, energy cleansings for wedding venues performed from thousands of miles away, and even spiritual marriage services and ‘eternal soul bonding ceremonies’ conducted remotely by an online practitioner.

Outside of the major marketplaces like Etsy or eBay, you’ll find hundreds more independent practitioners offering good weather spells too, tailoring their custom metaphysical offerings to weddings and receptions. Even traditional brick-and-mortar occult businesses sometimes sell spellcasting services online. These services are a frequent topic of conversation in online forums like Reddit's r/SpellcasterReviews and r/Spells, where visitors compare experiences with the best Esty witches, and the worst. 

While some people purchase wedding spells as a joke, many sales are made by true believers. Others are funded by a mix of desperation, suspended disbelief, and a shrug. Regardless, the online spell business is definitely booming!

“I [hired an Etsy witch for my wedding]!,” one newlywed writes. “I do not believe in that stuff at all, but I also knew that if I didn’t and it rained I would be sitting there kicking myself. If anything, it gave me the peace of mind to know I had done everything possible to have perfect weather — which alone is worth the $20 imo”

Are Etsy Witches Legit?

Whether these online spells will have an impact on your wedding is less definite, however. Some shops may be run by sincere witches or Wiccans (and other modern Pagans). Many of them probably aren’t – or, almost certainly aren’t. This uncertainty is the problem.

See, what makes this weather spell trend worrisome isn’t the unconventional spiritual aspect. After all, modern Paganism and witchcraft are among the fastest growing spiritual paths in the United States. Belief is spells and spellcasting has been around for centuries – just like weddings themselves. 

Instead, it’s worrisome that many of these shops exist entirely online.

There’s no way for anxious couples to verify a practitioner's true beliefs or abilities, or in many cases, their actual existence. Shop photos are generated by ChatGPT or Canva, or borrowed from stock archives. The trend is propelled by TikTok algorithms and viral videos, instead of by local covens or the recommendation of like-minded friends.

This sounds like the perfect cover for disingenuous shop owners profiting off of a couple’s wedding stress and spirituality – clogging a marketplace where we could see ethical vendors stepping up to fill a spiritual gap.

Which leads us to an important industry question…

Will We See Etsy Witches at Wedding MBA This Year?

Do the viral TikToks and that 206% increase in searches mean we’ll see dozens of Etsy witches sitting behind booths at Wedding MBA this year?

No. But you might see more actual, practicing witches than you expect!

Many of the spiritual services we mention above have become mainstream. It’s very common for couples to use astrology to choose a wedding date, for example, or to hire a professional numerologist to plan a wedding. Brides and grooms tuck crystals into their pockets before walking down the aisle, burn herbs or candles at the altar in offering, and bow their heads in prayer. These familiar spiritual elements have been a part of weddings for a long time, and for many couples, they have a long history of success.

(In fact, AMM published a book on wedding numerology just last year, written by professional numerologist Bee Scolnick to help you plan a celestially aligned ceremony: "Marriage by the Numbers: Planning Your Wedding Using Numerology")

As a growing number of couples embrace these unique spiritual elements, more and more practicing esotericists, occultists, witches, and other alternative practitioners will be called to the wedding industry – and to industry events!

Consider wedding officiant Tara McMullen-King, for example, an ordained minister with American Marriage Ministries who’s well-known as ‘The Wedding Witch of Salem.’ Unlike many a faceless Etsy witch, McMullen-King takes her spiritual practice seriously. She performs a variety of authentic Wiccan weddings and low-key witchy elopements for couples who visit Salem, Massachusetts from all around the world.

Or, how about Mary ‘The Witchtographer,’ a Pagan wedding photographer also based in New England? Or Liv Moore, the traveling Pagan Ceremonialist of Let There Bee Love, who (coincidentally) credits her shift into full time ritual work to a TikTok she posted going viral three years ago (3.2 million views!). 

There are proudly Pagan-owned spaces that host small special events like weddings, including The Sparrow & Serpent in Eugene, Oregon (which the owner has called a goth-friendly “queer pagan nerd bar”), or The Cauldron Bar in Buena Park, California, brought to life by Wiccan chef Lara Hanneman and available for intimate weddings and receptions. And there are witchy wedding florists too, like Green Witch Gardens in tiny Milan, Michigan, inspired by green witches who “respect and draw their power from nature” and specializing in bonsai and event florals for “the perfect weirdo wedding.”

In fact, there are already Pagans happily celebrating couples irl, in every corner of the wedding world! You will see these professionals and their spiritual peers at conventions and events all over the country. Learn more using the links below. 

• How to Call the Corners & Cast a Circle for a Wiccan Wedding Ceremony
• When Pagans Wed: Modern Paganism & the Wedding Ritual
• Browse all Pagan Wedding Ideas
• Browse Pagan Wedding Ceremony Scripts

What Should the Wedding Industry Learn from the Rise of Etsy Witches?

So, what – if anything – should the wedding industry be learning from Etsy witches and their ‘good weather spells’? It’s clear that a significant number of engaged couples are embracing online wedding spells. Despite the lack of guarantees, and what’s no doubt a healthy amount of skepticism, thousands of nearlyweds are downloading digital blessings, reading witches’ letters aloud, and ordering same-day wedding blessings at $12.99 a pop – in this economy! – ‘just in case.’

We think there are three probable reasons for the Etsy witch wedding trend – listed below – all of which make good reasons for the wedding industry to pay attention!

1. Couples feel an intense pressure to justify high wedding costs

One probable explanation is that these couples feel an incredible pressure for things to go just right after spending thousands of dollars on the wedding day. 

If you’ve spent $34,000 on a single 5-hour event – that’s the average duration and cost of a wedding in 2026, by the way – the pressure for things to go perfectly can be intense. If a couple doesn't have a backup plan, a sudden rainstorm can ruin wedding photos, disappoint guests, wash out decorations, or scatter an outdoor ceremony. So what starts as a joke – “just hire an Etsy witch!” – can quickly turn semi-serious as the wedding approaches. 

Even couples who aren’t witchy may find themselves ordering an online wedding spell in the pursuit of a perfect (expensive) wedding. From the New York Times article:

"[Cecilia] an actress and the director of participant experience at a political tech company, wasn’t susceptible to what she chalked up to ‘woo-woo’ social media trends. ‘I laughed at it,’ she said. Then she remembered what kind of bride she was…’I’m really Type A…I wanted to do everything I possibly could to control a good wedding outcome. So I was like, you know what? Why don’t I look into this?’” In the end, the NYT says, Cecilia paid $40 for an emailed spell, just in case.

How the industry can adapt: Embrace imperfections (and imperfect budgets)

The solution to this pressure for perfection probably isn’t a good weather spell – it’s letting couples off the hook, and removing the expectation that they'll get everything right on the wedding day. That means not shaming frugal couples, couples who have friends officiate the wedding, or couples who get things 'wrong.' It means celebrating the imperfections of the wedding day, and imperfect wedding budgets. And it’s recognizing the damage that high costs and wedding debt can do to a couple’s mental health, not just their pocketbooks.

2. Shrinking the shortage of local, spiritually minded wedding vendors

Another reason behind the Etsy witch trend may be a shortage of wedding vendors offering these spiritual services locally. Couples may not know a local vendor who specializes in spellcasting or spiritual blessings, and not know where to look to find one. 

While Wiccan and Pagan wedding officiants have started to create a visible niche in the industry, the total number of professionals is still small. These spiritual paths still lack representation within the industry, especially in other vendor roles.

How the industry can adapt: Embrace spiritual diversity and welcome new vendors

The solution to this shortage isn’t an AI-generated marketplace – it’s continuing to build a more diverse wedding industry! Great strides have been made in recent years, but there’s more room to improve. For example, established vendors and venues may choose to seek out additional training and education on alternative faiths and spiritual practices, and to advertise themselves as spiritually inclusive.

|* custom-button, "https://courses.theamm.org/amms-interfaith-multicultural-wedding-course/", "Enroll In AMM's Interfaith & Multicultural Wedding Course" *|

This solution also requires us to encourage practicing pagans and esotericists to join the wedding industry, and to form their own home within it – such as getting ordained online with AMM to officiate weddings and vow renewals. Learn more using the links below!

• Online Ordination for Modern Pagans: Why it’s So Important, Especially Now
• Online Ordination for Modern Shamans & Shamanic Wedding Officiants
• How to Find a Wedding Officiant for Voodoo, Santeria, Lucumi, or African Diaspora Faiths

|* custom-button, "https://theamm.org/get-ordained-online", "Get Ordained to Officiate Weddings" *|

3. Couples need flexible, affordable backup plans for bad weather

Last, we need to admit that weather patterns are changing as climate change continues. Couples have always dreaded rain on the wedding day, of course, but there’s no denying that local weather is becoming more unpredictable each year. Rainy seasons are getting longer, and storms are becoming more aggressive. Venues have been forced to close due to floods, and so on! Is it really any wonder that good weather spells are trending lately?

One soon-to-wed on Reddit wrote recently, “I’m okay with rain in the morning. We’ve been getting chaotic thunderstorms in the afternoon lately. 😅I’d be anxious if it hadn’t cleared up in time for pictures.” When asked about hiring an Etsy witch for good wedding weather they added, “I’m considering it along with all the other things!”

How the industry can adapt: Expand backup options for bad weather and fine tune your contracts

Whether we like it or not (no pun intended), wedding vendors and venues need to prioritize great backup plans for bad weather. These can be marketed as side-by-side offerings instead of last-minute pivots – where every outdoor element has a corresponding indoor alternative. It’s essential that severe weather clauses be included in vendor contracts, along with accommodations for minor weather hiccups. Learn more using the links below! 

• Officiants: Adapt Your Business as Climate Change Fuels More Fall Weddings
• Oficiantes: Adapten su Negocio a Medida que el Cambio Climático Impulsa Más Bodas de Otoño
• What to Include in a Wedding Officiant Contract, According to the Pros

Need inspiration on how to help couples when weather looks bad? Consider this newlywed’s helpful story from Reddit: 

“Ok don’t come for me but the weather was dire for ours a week out, and so I did 2 [Etsy wedding spells] (it was nominal $25 each lol) + buried a bunch of Italian sausages (Italian wedding)… it ended up staying dire except for a small break which was enough to do some of our outdoor photos…My much more expensive insurance policy that I have 0 regrets is, we did majority of our outdoor bridal portraits the day before since our venue and team were very accommodating & we were looking at a full washout on the day.”