'Busiest wedding season since the '80s': B.C. industry booming due to pent-up pandemic demand
'Busiest wedding season since the '80s': B.C. industry booming due to pent-up pandemic demand
'Busiest wedding season since the '80s': B.C. industry booming due to pent-up pandemic demand
Wedding season is back and with the backlog of postponed weddings due to the pandemic, B.C. operators say it's busier than it's been in decades.
While it's a welcome change, some businesses find it hard to keep up with the demand.
"This is the busiest wedding year since, I think, the '80s because of all the COVID backup — you had all those girls waiting. And as soon as they lifted, everybody was like, 'Okay,go!'” said Erin Cockerill, a senior stylist with Vancouver’s Bisou Bridal.
The boutique has had to extend its hours to accommodate all its new brides.
Cockerill said the number of clients has nearly doubled since last year, and the store hired three more seamstresses to keep up.
"The numbers are definitely jumping which is very exciting. I don't foresee it slowing down any time before 2024,” she said.
Allan Burnett, the owner of The Chapels, said while he’s excited about the industry’s robust recovery, he’s overwhelmed by the pent-up demand.
He said he's short-staffed after letting some employees go early in the pandemic.
“I haven’t rehired anyone yet, and that’s probably what’s making it so challenging because we need help right now,” he said.
His phone line is busy with people calling in, even booking their special event on weekdays.
"We've got weddings on now Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday this coming weekend. So, that gives you a pretty good idea that it's often busy right now,” Burnett said.
Carissa Quan, the catering and events coordinator for the Brock House Restaurant, has also seen a surge in business.
"We have noticed that we have a lot of backlog from 2020, moving into 2022,” she said.
"There's only a certain number of Saturdays and Sundays that we have so we do open up for Mondays and Fridays, but we do see back-to-back [bookings], especially in the high season — that's July and August. We see a lot of weddings that happen between Monday to Friday,” she added.
With dates quickly getting booked up, couples are urged to plan as early as possible.
"I can tell you that in the 20-plus years that I've been in the wedding industry, I've never seen the number of weddings for next year this early in this number,” said Burnett.
All the operators agree that it's unlikely the demand will ease any time soon, predicting an equally busy – if not busier—season in 2023.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
Fallen R&B superstar R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for using his fame to subject young fans - some just children - to systematic sexual abuse.
Police in Saanich, B.C., say they continue to investigate the possibility that a "third suspect" was involved in a fatal shooting at a bank that left two suspects dead and six officers injured Tuesday.
A woman who was trapped inside a bank during a robbery and fatal shootout with police near Victoria on Tuesday says there is one question still plaguing her a day later: Why didn't the gunmen just leave with the money?
Five months ago, the first 'Freedom Convoy' trucks rolled into Ottawa. After the federal government took the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to end the protests, a series of inquiries and probes have been initiated. With the nation's capital bracing for more protests over the Canada Day weekend, CTVNews.ca takes a look at where the main commissions and studies stand.
A mother of three children is speaking out after spending a night on the floor of Toronto Pearson Airport with her young kids in a nightmare weekend of travel.
A toddler accidentally left in a vehicle for hours died Tuesday and police said his father was found dead in an apparent suicide at their Virginia home, police said.
Police in Saanich, B.C., say they continue to investigate the possibility that a "third suspect" was involved in a fatal shooting at a bank that left two suspects dead and six officers injured Tuesday.
A woman who was trapped inside a bank during a robbery and fatal shootout with police near Victoria on Tuesday says there is one question still plaguing her a day later: Why didn't the gunmen just leave with the money?
A Lower Mainland animal hospital is turning to reality television to help raise funds so they can, in turn, help pet owners – including those on Vancouver Island – with costly major surgeries on animals.
An expert at the University of Calgary says a float in a small Alberta town's annual parade made a mockery of some of the symbols the Sikh religion hold sacred.
A severe thunderstorm only lasted about 10 minutes, but Nathan Canning says that was enough time to blow the entire roof off his Quonset barn and cause thousands of dollars' worth of damage to his Langdon property.
Damien Christopher Starrett was found guilty of killing his one-year-old son Ares Starrett and assaulting another child in a Fort Saskatchewan home on Nov. 23, 2019.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
Canada's transport minister is speaking out about the 'unacceptable issues' that continue to result in significant delays. He says the federal government has done everything in its control to fix the issue.
Canadians flying out of the Montreal airport might be in for a bit of a shock this summer as the head of the Trudeau airport says airlines will "likely" be asked to cancel some flights — or even destinations altogether.
A social media campaign to help find a compatible stem cell donor for a four-year-old girl in Montreal is putting a spotlight on the lack of diversity in donor lists.
Ahead of the hustle and bustle of festival season in Montreal, Quebec health officials are asking people to stay vigilant amid rising COVID-19 numbers.
Canadian travellers are having to employ the 'hurry up and wait' practice at airports across the country lately according to new data. According to the Winnipeg Airport Authority (WAA), this impact isn't being felt to the same extent as other airports in the country.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
The road to decriminalizing drugs in Regina is being paved. On Tuesday, the Board of Police Commissioners met to discuss the possibility of decriminalizing personal illicit drug possession in the city of Regina.
An RCMP officer who was among 22 people killed in the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting was remembered Wednesday during a regimental service in Halifax for her "fierce" character and brave actions.
A serious collision in Kitchener Tuesday has prompted calls for traffic controls to be installed at the off-ramps of Highway 7/8 onto Ira Needles Boulevard.
