The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
WEDDING INDUSTRY WORKS TO ADAPT
Coronavirus pandemic makes for a challenging year
“I want to give every bride the chance to try on dresses that zip up. They want to feel like a princess for the day.” — Alyssia Daley, owner of A. Daley Bridal
As a wedding planner, Eventistry owner Diana Warner said she typically does about 12 weddings a year. Due to cancellations and postponements due to the novel coronavirus, she did three this year.
Those who went ahead had smaller, more intimate weddings with fewer guests, or opted to have one in a backyard with tents, she said.
“It changed how you do weddings,” she said.
Warner is also a wedding officiant and said that some people have opted to get married this year and plan their receptions later.
“It comes down to the individuals,” she said.
As the pandemic continues, there’s still a lot of uncertainty for couples planning weddings for 2021.
“It’s hard on couples to move forward with planning things,” Warner said.
Warner also runs We Thee Wed, which typically puts on three or four wedding shows per year.
With COVID-19 safety measures in place, We Thee Wed held its wedding show Nov. 8 at the Villa Croatia Party Center in Eastlake that was originally scheduled for late March.
Wedding shows allow for a personal connection between couples and potential vendors in a way that just can’t be done online, she said.
Alyssia Daley, owner of A. Daley Bridal, said she gets about 50 percent of her business from wedding shows.
“Events like these are everything to us,” said Daley, who was one of the businesses participating in the Nov. 8 event. She said it was her first wedding show
since the pandemic started.
Daley in September moved her wedding gown and accessories shop from Mayfield Heights to the Great Lakes Mall in Mentor. Daley said customization is a focus of her business. In October Dale told the News-Herald that while gowns are available in all sizes, A. Daley Bridal has a focus on plus-size women.
“I want to give every bride the chance to try on dresses that zip up,” she said. “They want to feel like a princess for the day.”
Willoughby-based Merkel’s Flowers has been in business since the 1950s. Owner Kristin Brewster Goodell said she hopes the COVID-19 pandemic is the worst thing the industry sees.
Brewster Goodell, like Warner, mentioned in an increase in celebrations pivot
ing to tents in a backyard. A change in venue can also mean a change in atmosphere. Another challenge is sometimes a member of the bridal party can suddenly be unable to attend. She said they do what it takes to make the experience a good one, even at their own cost.
The business does more than just weddings and they’ve been bolstered by the fact the pandemic has changed the way people are thinking about others. She said there’s been an uptick in people sending flowers to a parent or grandparent that they haven’t been able to visit, to show that they’re thinking about them. Brewster Goodell said she believes there’s a silver lining for everything and she hopes that’s something that continues even after the pandemic is over.