Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, many couples have had to change or even cancel their wedding plans. While Asian weddings often include at least three separate events and larger guest lists, the wrath of Covid-19 means that the prospects of having a big blowout are slim.
It is estimated the wedding industry in the UK is worth £14.7 billion with nearly 280,000 weddings taking place in the UK each year.
While Covid has put a hold on larger events, it should not put a halt on tying the knot. Love does not have a quarantine period and weddings are still very much going ahead. They may be different, but that does not mean they cannot be just as wonderful. With the current progress of the vaccine, we believe things will be back to normal very soon and we can tell you now, guests cannot be more eager to enjoy your wedding!
Here are just some of the trends we think might be seen once we get some normality.
Health & Safety
The first bit of alcohol guests may have at the wedding might not be the Champagne, it will be the Hand Sanitizer! Although health and safety practises in the Industry are generally of a very high standard but post covid there would be an event greater focus on improving these more At the same time, it would also be important to ensure that the precautions being taken are clearly visible to guests too to help them feel assured and comfortable.
Intimate Weddings
Though Asian wedding sizes are generally becoming smaller on average, we will find Post-Covid that this will be expedited and weddings will become more intimate affairs. With the focus going away from quantity and more towards quality, couples will have even more options at their disposal from wedding suppliers. We all thought wedding creativity had reached its peak, and then coronavirus hit us! With more time than ever to think about wedding ideas, there will be lots of changes coming soon.
Customer Spend
Even though the weddings might be getting smaller, the customer spend per person is likely to stay the same or even increase! Couples will try to make the wedding experience for the guests even better with higher levels of personalisation and detail. Experienced suppliers will be able to assist guests in this customisation through more options and flexibility.
Weekday Weddings
With a lot of 2020 Weddings moved into 2021, this has meant that a lot of key weekend dates are booked. This will mean a lot more weekday weddings but don’t think that weekday weddings will be any less fun. Weekday weddings have been on a sharp increase for the last few years and this trend will continue.
Insurance and Contracts
Wedding insurance will be more important than ever and so will clarity on contracts. We are living in uncertain times and clients will look for assurance more than ever. Insurance will give couples a peace of mind and that should be combined with a step by step action plan should another pandemic hit us.
Sustainability
The coronavirus pandemic has made us all realise what is truly important to us, and many couples are becoming more mindful of the waste that large-scale weddings may produce. In various ways and through the assistance of experiences suppliers, couples will be thinking more and more about how to make the wedding eco-friendly.
During such a strange times, your friends and family will be so excited for your post-Covid wedding, whatever plans you have. Rest assured things will come back to normal very soon and your wedding suppliers will be with you to provide all the support they can.
This post was written by Amit Lamba from Laguna Even Catering. They are an exhibitor on the WeddingShow247 Asian Catering floor of the Catering Hall. You can visit their WeddingShow247 exhibition stand here. Photography by Galileo Photography who is also an exhibitor of the Photography Floor of the Photography Hall. You can visit their WeddingShow247 exhibition stand here.
