Wedding officiants not feeling love during pandemic
Wedding bells ringing in Niagara this summer will be a rarity. With COVID-19 emergency order restrictions in place, gatherings of more than five people are not permitted.
Cathy Davis is leading director at Cathy Davis and Co., a team of 13 wedding officiants that coordinates couples’ nuptials locally. She said her industry is suffering during the pandemic.
In 2019, her group officiated at more than 400 marriages. For 2020, there were 280 booked before everything shut down. In recent weeks, 115 weddings have either been cancelled or postponed until it is legal to celebrate with a large crowd.
Her company has three Presbyterian ministers, one from a United church, and the rest are non-denominational. Their services are mostly non-religious, therefore aren’t usually held indoors at churches.
“A lot of the weddings we do are at wineries and golf courses,” she said.
Davis believes there is a greater chance outdoor weddings will be permitted before services under a roof are. Part of the work her team — it also covers part of the Greater Toronto Area — is now focusing on is keeping couples optimistic that their big day will arrive eventually.
“We’re doing a lot of reassuring and calming down.”
But things aren’t at a total standstill. Davis had two Niagara weddings to officiate this week, in Welland and Port Colborne.
The maximum number of people that can be at a service during the pandemic is also the minimum requirement for a valid marriage in Ontario. Two witnesses, a bride and groom and a minister must be together. All five must be present for the exchanging of vows, a declaration that they are married and the signing of the marriage licence.
Davis said online weddings, officiated by someone who is not physically present with the couple, are not allowed in the province.
Marriage licences are only valid for 90 days after they are purchased. Davis said she hopes the government will step in and provide relief for people who purchased one before or at the start of the pandemic and are putting their wedding on hold until life returns to normal.
She is hopeful next year will be better for her industry. “If we can make it to 2021, we’re going to have a banner year.”