Local wedding industry is facing a ‘catastrophe’

Venues, florists and musicians all counting the cost of cancellations

The Tayside and Fife wedding industry is facing “catastrophe” as closed venues work to reschedule cancelled ceremonies.

Weddings were one of the social gatherings explicitly mentioned when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced lockdown restrictions last Monday.

Prior to the announcement venues, florists, musicians and caterers were already reeling from couples postponing and cancelling ceremonies.

Gaynor Russell, company director at Fife wedding venue Balbirnie House, said her events team had rescheduled 32 weddings to dates later in the year.

Informing brides was a difficult process, she added.

“It was horrible. We had brides crying and shouting. Some remained calm. It was a mixed picture, but since then they have been happy with the deal we have made.”

She said the venue was now operating with a skeleton staff, with the events team working from home.

Gaynor said: “Our bank have been fantastic and we’ve managed to get out March’s payroll. But who knows what the picture will be for April?

“We are looking to look staff.”

Newport florist Amy Annand said the virus could not have come at a worse time for the industry as it was gearing up for spring and summer ceremonies.

She said: “I have had couples cancel in April, May; even some in June or July are looking to move things back.”

“Everyone in the industry is very scared: Florists, pipers, caterers, after our venues. We are all looking at no income. It could be catastrophic.

“We have gone from having a full diary of jobs to this, but we don’t want people to take risks either and do something that isn’t safe,” she added.

Piper Mark Lumgair, of Laurencekirk, said two of his clients had postponed their weddings until next year.

He said he also ran a small farm so could deal with the loss of income from gigs as a piper.

“There will be other pipers that rely on their business as their only source of income,” he said.

Claire Lornie, events manager at Forbes of Kingennie, said the venue had two postponements to date.

She said: “In all honesty, we are having to take it a week at a time. We are looking at moving ceremonies back to later this year as a lot of the dates for next year are booked up already.

“Everybody has been excellent and very understanding of the situation,” she added.