“The wedding industry must not be forgotten.”
“We need financial support to survive!”
“What are the rules? We just need clarity!”
These are some of the common sentiments coming from the wedding community from different corners of the world. 2020 has been the toughest year for the US $ 300 billion annual revenue-generating industry globally. Few industries have fallen as fast and hit as hard as the wedding industry. Much has been said and written about hard-hitting facts about how the current pandemic has affected the multi-billion dollar wedding industry. It’s time to assess the reality and take action to uplift the sentiments of millions of people associated with this industry financially, mentally, and emotionally. From planners to vendors to tourism boards to clients; everyone has to work together to give a momentum towards a paradigm shift that eventually changes the course of this industry for better.
We want to get this straight and we want it to get it right! Hence, we reached out to wedding industry professionals from around the globe to share with us real-time scenarios of what is happening and what should be done. We asked them 2 simple questions:
- What is the current scenario with regards to weddings and events in your region?
- What message would you like to give governments/tourism authorities with regard to organizing weddings?
With this blog piece which will be disseminated as a Press Release to over 100,000+ contacts in the government and the wedding community, we plan to give a voice that works as a collective framework from the best of wedding industry professionals so that we can cohesively develop a mechanism to make weddings happen in this new reality. Love is not canceled, weddings are not going anywhere, we just need to work together to navigate new ideas, find new means to do the old things, and collectively bring the wedding industry back to its feet, stronger and better than before.
Wedding tourism is too big to ignore. Each wedding feeds a constellation of businesses, from caterers and photographers to florists and entertainers. International “destination weddings”, as well as milestone celebrations, are a boon to the travel industry. And in addition, these weddings are also positively impacting the local economies. Government, tourism boards, and wedding planners have to work together to craft a system that is beneficial and a win-win for all in the longer run.
Those in the wedding business often boast that it is “recession-proof”: people will always want to celebrate getting married or an important milestone. But it is not pandemic proof. Couples have been forced to choose between delaying their nuptials, canceling their big plans, and finding new and alternative ways to wed.
Here’s what wedding experts have to say from different regions across the globe. Click on the link below to read detailed views from wedding professionals from each region.
Americas: The Voice of Wedding Industry From Americas
Europe, UK & Russia: The Voice Of Wedding Industry From Europe & UK
Middle-East: The Voice Of Wedding Industry From Middle-East
Africa: The Voice Of Wedding Industry From Africa
APAC: The Voice Of Wedding Industry From APAC
These will be disseminated individually as well in the regions for more targeted reach.
Conclusion
We live to celebrate all the amazing accomplishments, relationships, and milestones in each other’s lives. We need weddings, they are the lifeblood of humanity and love!
The wedding industry is extremely anxious at this stage, navigating between postponement and cancellations and alternative ways of doing business. Most of the wedding vendors are playing a complicated guessing game about when is it safe to reschedule next, there is a lack of clarity on summer and fall weddings. Most importantly, for the wedding community with the major chunk being SME businesses, their incomes have come to a standstill for the past few months, figuring out ways on how long they can sustain and from where can they get financial assistance is the biggest question that remains unanswered until a clear guideline on restart of weddings come into effect globally.
While the virus is real and we know so much more about it, how to treat it, and who are most at risk, we need to keep living. This is what makes us humans. We can plan weddings with the highest security and safety protocols but we need a green signal to go ahead. The wedding industry is making an appeal to governments all across the globe to stop and listen – we make a difference and in a big way!
Still, there are some positive signs that love will ultimately triumph and that the industry will bounce back bigger than ever next year with most of the weddings pushed to 2021, the current state of affairs is worrisome and will businesses be able to sustain until next year is what the industry is debating currently. Each country has to take its own high protection and present to show and give the impression to us. Tourism authorities should be more active to do a campaign to increase awareness.
Indeed, the pandemic has compelled couples to revisit some of the expectations attached to wedding traditions. Perhaps it has also taught us to assume a more moderate approach to weddings and question the necessity of organizing lavish events. It has also shifted us towards technology with Zoom weddings coming into the picture. Ultimately, this entire discussion should be read within the wider discourse of the pandemic’s effects on our lives. The wedding industry is severely impacted and may see a long-lasting effect as long as the pandemic is here. Culture takes a hit. Philosophy takes a hit. And ultimately, humanity takes a hit.
Feature Image Credit: @shutterstock/ll_studio
