:: From the Creative Director’s Desk ::
THE STATE OF THE WEDDING INDUSTRY WRITTEN BY: Rena Sweeney, Alchemy Events | PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Alleman Photography
IT’S 1 A.M. ON A FRIDAY AND AS I TRY TO WRAP UP MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE JULY issue so I can head to bed, I’ve contemplated over and over how to begin this article. Nothing short of complete honesty and transparency seems fitting, though. So for better or worse [deep breath], here we go. We are living in unprecedented times. Even vendors, like myself, one could guarantee what would happen. No one ever thought who went through Hurricane Katrina have never experienced it would last this long. Progressively more businesses had to lay anything like it. We keep a smile on our face, apologize for delayed off staff, sell their equipment, get rid of warehouses holding their responses, hope that it won’t result in a negative review, and keep stock or delay upgrading the equipment they needed for their working until all hours of the night. We’re trying to hold it together, business. Some vendors closed shop entirely. Others took on side gigs to make ends meet. Then almost as quickly as it had but to be honest, it’s hard. Harder than ever before. begun, things began to open up again. Behind the mask of smiles, it’s important that you as engaged couples know the truth of what’s happening because this is all part WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS of your own planning process as well. Sure, you know 2020 was probably a rough year for us but now we’ve got business again and Suddenly we had two year’s worth of couples all wanting to get should be more than happy to have you as a client, right? Yes, we married in the last 6 months of 2021, plus 2022 and 2023 couples are, but there’s a dark depth to what’s happening right now that you looking to book their vendors. No one wants micro weddings, everyone wants a blow out party to celebrate with their friends need to know about. and family who have all been cooped up for the last year. No I hold a unique position in our industry that I am not only a vendor, matter the budget, guest lists are large again. an educator and venue consultant, but I also have the privilege of speaking directly to couples through this publication. Lately I find The only problem is that most of us are now understaffed myself in the precarious position of trying to be understanding and might also be dealing with additional workload from to my fellow vendors while also juggling client expectations and commitments we made when times were slow. Some might have trying to help them understand what is happening in our industry to outsource or have 2 employees doing the work of 5. Catering right now. So I’m taking this opportunity to use my platform here companies and staffing agencies can’t find workers. Then the to share what I hope will help us all work better together and also unexpected shortages… wood prices skyrocketed, there’s a offer some valuable insight to couples still in, or about to dive into, flower shortage, a metal shortage, paper shortage. You name it, we’ve experienced it recently. So we’re not only dealing with the planning process. more work than we’ve probably ever experienced before but also with couples who are highly emotional (rightly so, having 2020 IN RETROSPECT been through covid engagements and/or postponements). As vendors, we work with weddings because we love the celebration of love! No, it’s not easy; expectations are high, but From personal experience, I can tell you that in 21 years of business, we are passionate about helping our clients celebrate this time I’ve never before had florists tell me they simply could not get white in their lives. Many of us are small businesses either working on hydrangea. I’ve never before called a vendor who was being our own or with just a handful of staff. This last year, even the unresponsive to check on them because I was legitimately larger businesses felt the sting of covid, though. scared for their health and safety because it’s unlike them to not respond. Vendors who always respond back within 24 hours are As we were in the midst of spring wedding season, our world was now taking days to respond and even longer to get quotes back. unexpectedly shut down. Not temporarily, but completely and Rental companies are getting calls for people wanting to have last for the foreseeable future. After having held dates for couples minute parties and events and they don’t have staffing to fulfill all the and working with them for a year or more, suddenly they were requests. Vendors are refusing additional work for this year because asking for full refunds. In the blink of an eye, we not only had no they can’t keep up as it is. Heck, I’m working until late into the night every day myself. new business, we also had couples wanting money back. Vendors disagreed on how to handle this and then as parishes around Orleans had less restrictive regulations, venues within Orleans Parish itself had couples asking for refunds so they could move their events to those other areas. Those vendors who did still have some business had to either completely replan a wedding (so much extra work), risk their own health or worry about backlash from unhappy clients. As we trudged through, the inquiries dried up as well because no 8 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
In planning this article, I reached out to our wedding vendor community to ask what things they wished couples knew right now. I promised anonymity if desired and we heard many of the same responses over and over again. I wanted to share some of them here to not only help you as a client understand where we’re coming from but also to encourage you that despite what it may seem like, your vendors are just as invested in you as they’ve always been! We still want to give you the most amazing day of your life and whether it seems like it or not to you, we’re working ourselves ragged to do that. You’ll also get some insight into how things have changed for your planning process.
