NEWS & LIFE
What a Difference a Year Makes In 202 0 , t h e we d d i n g i n d u st r y wa s o n e of the hardest hit by the pan d e m i c – t hi s ye a r i s a w h o l e d i f fe re nt stor y By Andrea E. McHugh
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ne year ago, we talked with small business owners in the local wedding and event industr y whose work shifted dramatically as COVID-19 gripped the region, the countr y, and the world. Rhode Island wedding pro fessionals in particular were in a precarious position, juggling clients postponing their big day to an unknown future date, couples who slashed their g uest counts and hosted micro -weddings, and those who quietly wed and hoped for a bigger post-pandemic celebration, or simply gave up the dream of a large wedding. Since Gov. McKee lifted all remaining capacity restrictions this past May, the industr y has been all systems go. Photographer Sara Zarrella and her business partner Dan Phillips worked ever y weekend throughout 2020, but the entire industr y was in constant flux and looked remarkably different. “It was a mix of extreme downsizing
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– I’m talking weddings down to five people – as well as complete cancellations with other couples sliding into those spots. You name it. And on the administrative side, scheduling , rescheduling , redoing contracts, cancelling , and downsizing took triple the amount of time. The thing about photography in this industr y is, whether it’s two people or 200, we’re working ,” says Zarrella. This year, she says, inventor y is scarce at best, prompting couples to consider mid-week weddings or delay until 2022 – or beyond. “ The industr y is booming and there are only so many dates. We are booked solid this year and sadly turning people away,” she says. The pandemic was the impetus that inspired these photographers to launch a long-considered podcast, Wedding Secrets Unveiled! (Zarrella hosts, Phillips produces), which features insights and advice from predominantly Rhode Island-based industr y professionals. Navigating weddings
during COVID organically manifests in many of their conversations. When we spoke to makeup artist Allison Barbera, who manages a team of 18 independent contractor makeup artists, around this time last year she had just co -founded the Rhode Island Coalition of Wedding Vendors Facebook group. The group brought industr y professionals together digitally to advocate for opening up capacity restrictions with health procedures in place in order to have safe weddings and events. The group evolved into the Rhode Island Coalition of Wedding & Event Professionals (RICWEP), now under the leadership of Luke Renchan of Luke Renchan Entertainment, and it continues to connect small business owners, provide resources, and advance industr y interests. Barbera says today, the wedding business is thriving in Rhode Island. “We are doing usually four to five weddings on weekends now …
Hey Rhody WEDDINGS AUGUST 2021 |
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