So hard to get to say ‘I do’ now
Wedding venues around the world are struggling to stay afloat as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to change the way all businesses operate. Appeals within the hospitality, beauty, food and accommodation industries have resulted in many businesses being able to reopen their doors in South Africa, but a Midrand-based wedding venue has claimed their sector is being ignored, and is in desperate need of answers.
The Forest Walk Venue wedding coordinator Daniela Bray said the family run business was considering closing down this year and only reopening next year.
“It’s killing us and now we’ve had to tell all our workers we can no longer help them,” Bray said.
Bray, her husband and daughter are just one example of the many affected wedding venues across the country that claimed no clarity from government has been received.
“We are not receiving any guidelines or regulations. We don’t want to do anything before getting the go-ahead from the president and departments. We are not getting any answers. Other sectors are reopening, why keep us closed?”
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs department spokesperson Mlungisi Mtshali said wedding venues were not included in lockdown Level 3 amendments. He indicated it was not always clear why Cabinet chose certain sectors to reopen, but that uncertainty due to Covid-19 meant regular regulation assessments and audits.
“Cabinet needs to do an audit within regulations to see where the gaps are and look at inconsistencies of opening one sector and not another.
“The overall assessment of regulations is to see what sectors need to be brought on par. If we don’t do that, the regulations may look unbalanced.”
He said that amending and balancing regulations was a process and did not imply one sector was less important than another. As each sector was discussed, implementing protocols to lessen the spread of Covid-19 were considered. This was easier in some sectors than others.
But Bray said protocols were being considered at many venues, including theirs, and could be achieved.
She said the venue’s reception hall could accommodate 50 people with a social distance of 1.5m. She suggested the bar could remain closed and nonalcoholic drinks be served instead.
Welcome drinks would also be served in the reception hall, to discourage people from clustering together.
“No one is saying anything, but it is not as if we would be doing anything illegal.”
Although Mtshali did not commit Cabinet to discussions with the wedding venue sector, he said that as regulations were amended, more discussions would take place.
Department of tourism spokesperson Blessing Manale said due to inability to fully regulate all gatherings, many sports, cultural and entertainment were still prohibited. “There are already repercussions for almost all economic sectors, in the same vein as there are health repercussions for allowing all activities to resume at once (sic).”
Manale added that wedding venues were included in categories of tourism establishments that qualify for Covid-19 relief “and we hope that all establishments seized the opportunity and applied”.
Agility Hospitality advisor Robyn Christie said it was not only about fulfilling regulations. “It is about winning public confidence, so patrons want to come back ... the business value of maintaining the trust of patrons and employees alike has never been more significant than it is now.”
Bray said the difficulties of “killing the vibe” by telling couples that they were not only uncertain about whether their big day would go ahead, but also laying out possible, significant changes.
“The brides and grooms are scared and so are we. We’re trying to make a living, but we don’t want to advertise anything, and have put some ideas out to ask brides what they’re keen on, but they don’t bite.”
Having to adapt to a very different world to that in which the engagement took place was no easy feat, but Bray said it was frustrating not to get feedback from couples on how to go about this change gently.
Initially, The Forest Walk Venue wanted to have couples and three guests present for a much smaller ceremony “but we don’t even know if we’re allowed to do that”. She cited one couple adamant about getting married on 1 August. She could not provide them with clear answers, which meant they were either going to cancel their booking, or did not want to compromise.