Looking back, 2020 seemed like the perfect year for everyone. The country anticipated a year of clarity and being able to enjoy the outdoors again. This is especially true for the many couples who decided to solidify their love through marriage. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans for 2020. The whole world was hit with a pandemic that would become a global focus for the next two years. As we enter 2022, we are left with the residue of the goals and many weddings that have yet to be fulfilled in past years.
Wedding Push Back
According to the Statista Research Department, an estimated 82% of weddings were postponed in the year 2020 and 11 % were completely canceled. Now as the world works to get back to some normalcy, millions of couples are trying to finish what they started in 2020. The surge of backed-up weddings has led to a global wedding boom.
The overwhelming number of weddings have vendors and event planners booking through 2024 and on. A wedding is such an important event and as planners know, needs to be executed perfectly. A perfect wedding can take months to a year to plan and changes to a timeline can affect the planning process.
Global Supply Chain Strains
Since the pandemic started, supply chains have been stunted, having effects on the wedding industry. This directly affects the ability of wedding planners to produce. For wedding planners to target the requests of a wedding, they must be able to connect with various suppliers. Suppliers slowed down production for several reasons in the last few years. As the virus strengthened more and more laborers were out of work. Most people could not return until vaccinated, perpetuating more suppliers going without workers to produce materials. Shipping routes were also affected when trying to confine the virus. International governments, including our own, were cautious about traveling to other countries to stop the spread.
With a slowing supply chain and a boom of weddings to prepare it’s important for event planners to be one step ahead of this. Simplify where you can and plan as far out in advance as you can. Communicate clearly with your wedding clients. Ensure clients are aware of the obstacles that could come up due to the relationship between the pandemic and planning a wedding. Explain that they must be open to pivot and adjust as you walk through the planning process to create the experience of their dreams.
Covid -19
Although vendors are moving slower, they are still moving and there is a high chance you will have all that you need to create a beautiful wedding. To ensure you have a hassle-free event it’s important to connect with vendors and event planners that can provide you with safe options that align with the Covid-19 climate of today. Work with vendors who can offer social distancing solutions. Grimes Events & Party Tents has been ahead of the Covid guidelines since the beginning of the pandemic and continues to create beautiful, functional, and safe, events with their various rentals. Some of these rentals include isolation dividers, pipe and drape, stanchions, tents, hand sanitizer stations, and individual restroom trailers to name a few.
Many wedding planners have had to re-determine wedding plans around the precautions that are being taken per state. For example, couples that originally spent to accommodate 100 guests will have to settle for 50 guests because of crowding and the risk that could have. Not only are couples having to downsize their event but may have to consider getting a venue with outdoor space for airflow through the area. Masks are also still in effect leaving guests urged to wear a face covering. All these above precautions are dependent on the state but can be worked around with various social distances solutions.
The show must go on!
Some of this information can be daunting to young couples and event planners, but I can assure you the wedding of your dreams is still very much possible. With the right event planner and vendors like Grimes Events & Party Tents, who remain within the Covid -19 guidelines for all events, Covid -19 and pressures of the Wedding Boom will not stop you from creating a wedding to remember! If you are planning to marry this year, consider the above obstacles and come up with ways you and your wedding planner can work around them.