Couples devastated by cancelled weddings, industry reeling amid COVID-19 restriction rollercoaster
Ally Collinson and Colton Harrison got engaged almost two years ago.
The pandemic meant postponing their first wedding date.
Now, COVID-19 is forcing them to change their plans again.
“(It’s) really stressful and scary and we’re just worried about what if in six months we rescheduled (and) this is still going on,” said Harrison, explaining what it was like to hear their upcoming wedding reception was now banned because of new health restrictions.
The couple had only been planning a small event with 30 people.
“It makes no sense to me how I can sit in the food court at a mall with more people than would be with me at my wedding and that’s totally OK,” said Collinson. “People can’t be with their family but they can be with strangers in a mall.”
The couple’s event planner, Tracy Byron of Cinderella Slip-Ons Event Rentals, is doing what she can to help, even as the losses to her own business keep adding up.
“(It’s) a little bit upsetting, to say the least,” said Byron of the new restrictions.
“This is number three for all of us in the industry, not just us.”
This time around, Byron has had six weddings, a wedding show and private events wiped off the calendar.
The latest rules are another blow in her long list of COVID-19 cancellations.
“As soon as COVID 2020 hit, I had 230 weddings either cancel or reschedule or they weren’t sure what they were going to do,” she said. “I have clients who are moving their dates three and four times over.”
She diversified her business to make ends meet and, fighting back tears, says she her company only survived “with huge support from family and friends.”
She says the new rules are confusing.
“You can go to a Canucks game with 9,000 people but you can’t go to a wedding with 30 people,” she said.
Bookings for wedding photographers are also in limbo.
“It’s meant really like a last minute loss of work,” said wedding photographer Amanda Coldicutt.
“We have weddings planned and then all of a sudden, they’re cancelled,” she added. “It’s been a constant rollercoaster of up and down … I like to think that (the rules are) there for a reason and it’s what we need to get by, but it’s definitely hard for small business owners.”
Florist Alyssa Ryan says a couple she was working with got married last year but hoped to have a large celebration this year.
The rules have just changed that, and now she’s left with flowers she ordered months ago.
“So now I’m stuck with a bunch of product that I’m going to have to try and make money off of because they don’t need it anymore,” she said.
B.C.’s Ministry of Health said in an emailed statement that health officials “know how challenging” the restrictions are for businesses forced to close.
“Funeral services, weddings, and religious services within a funeral home or faith centre are not affected by this order,” the ministry’s statement reads. “It's the celebration of life, it's the wedding reception afterwards which will need to be postponed for this period of time.”
As for Collinson and Harrison, the couple will forego the party for now and say “I do” in a private ceremony on New Year’s Day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.