Lifting of COVID-19 restrictions sparks wedding boom in B.C., with sudden rush on venues, services - Action News
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British Columbia

Lifting of COVID-19 restrictions sparks wedding boom in B.C., with sudden rush on venues, services

The wedding industry in B.C. says its back in a big way since most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted February 16. But now some couples who put tying the knot on hold are competing to book venues, hire caterers and order flowers.

Venues, caterers, florists say theyre seeing surge in demand, with many couples scrambling to secure services

Staff at Garden Party Flowers in Vancouver prepare flower arrangements. The company is one of many that's seen a surge in demand since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in B.C. (Janella Hamilton/CBC News)

Liz Locke is hoping the third time's a charm when it comes to her getting married.

She and her fianc are planning their wedding forthis July after two attempts over the course of the pandemic were foiled due to public health orders placing tight restrictions on gatherings.

"We have had three iterations of our wedding plans based on some changes and challenges with the pandemic," said Locke, who is looking forward to holding the wedding she's always wanted now most restrictions have been lifted.

"I am a screaming extrovert and the idea of a large gathering is really valuable and it's something that I want to share," she added.

But as face masks disappear and capacity limits lift, a sudden wedding rush has leftLocke and her partner facing another challenge, with many in their position struggling to find available venues and hire the services required for their big day.

Liz Locke is making a third set of plans for her wedding after her first two were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But a surge in demand for wedding venues and services means she's having difficulty nailing down details for her big day. (Screengrab/CBC)

The wedding industry was one of the sectorshardest hit by the pandemic,withrestrictions on venue capacity and travel, as well as overall health concerns due to COVID-19, making planning any gatheringdifficult.

The B.C. Wedding and Event Industry Association, formed in December 2021 to help the sector cope over the pandemic, said therevenue generated by weddings in the province estimated at $1.2 billion every year fell by as much as 90 per cent since March 2020.

But on Feb. 16 that all changed when indoor personal gatherings, indoor and outdoor organized gatherings and indoor seated events were able to return to full capacity.

The province's mask mandate has since been dropped and proof of vaccination will no longer be required to access businesses, events and services from April 8.

But it means Locke and others are now finding it difficult to find available venues, caterers, musicians and florists due to a surge in demand.

"Finding something that actually fits is a big challenge, because there are so many people looking to have a fun celebratory experience," said Locke. "Since March break it's been like, 'nope, nope, sorry we're full, I don't even know who to recommend you to.'"

The South Hall Event Centre in Vancouver. The popular wedding venue is hosting as many as six events a day since COVID-19 restrictions lifted. (Rajan Kainth)

'These last two years have been just boring'

Rajan Kainth, who operates the South Hall EventCentre in Vancouver, says he's experienced a big increase in phone calls in the past month.

"I'm finding that people are looking to do events within a month, within a couple of weeks, some within a week," he said.

"It's definitely put some pressure on us."

Demand has forced him to ramp up to host up to half a dozen events a day, and he'sbeen taking bookings as far into the future as 2024.

"We're really excited," he said. "These last two years have been just boring."

Even though his facility can host events for up to 1,000 people, he said most people are keeping them relatively small at between 100 and 200.

Jason Harper withCocktails and Canapes, an event and catering company in Vancouver, also said requests have been coming in fast and furious in recent weeks.

"We went from zero to 60," he said. "We went from not really being able to do anything to anybody being able to do anything they want."

Cocktails and Canapes staff prep food for an event. (Janella Hamilton/CBC News)

As customers increasethe number of guests at events like weddings, it's putting an acute demand on his staff, he said,adding that he's being selective in the contracts he's taking onso as to not overwork his employees.

"It'd be great to get out of debt in a heartbeat with the amount of business coming in, but then everyone is going to struggle and I'm going to lose people," he said.

FloristGenevieve Blondin, who is seeing an increase in demand for bouquets and floral arrangements for weddings at her business Garden Party Flowers, says she's just happy the industry is reverting back to what it was like in 2019.

"It means we'll be able to hire more people to come work for us. It also means more learning opportunities for some of the team," she said.

And despite the difficultiesLocke is having in booking the last few details for her wedding, she says she'sjust grateful that her wedding is finally going to go ahead more or less as she envisioned it before the pandemic.

"That we'll actually be able to look out and see people's full faces, and after the wedding we'll be able to hug them and 'cheers' them in real life that's going to be, I think, an incredible moment," she said.

With files from Janella Hamilton