Wedding and event bookings surge as pandemic restrictions ease

People who work in the wedding and events industry are seeing a surge in bookings thanks to upcoming changes to pandemic restrictions.

Starting March 1, indoor venues like event halls can operate at full capacity. Proof of vaccination will no longer be required but the mask mandate will remain.

“That gives our staff confidence. Knowing that business is coming back,” said Bingemans owner Mark Bingeman.

The ballroom at Bingemans that can hold around 1,000 people.

Some venue owners said it's a relief to see restrictions begin to ease, but it will still take time to bounce back.

“Unless you have something already planned, our recovery tends to be delayed by anywhere from six months to a year,” said Bingeman.

“Wedding venues are available Monday to Sunday now because they can’t keep up. And it is kind of the same thing with photographers now we are kind of being forced to take on extra work,” said photographer Karin Hughes

Hughes said she hired eight new workers to help with the 40 weddings booked in 2022.

“It is so abnormal to already be fully booked,” Hughes said.

Amaka Obodo is a fashion designer and owner of Queendavis Bridal Atelier in Kitchener. She said her phone is ringing off the hook, but it’s a good problem to have.

“I was worried about closing because I had colleagues in the industry that closed up their businesses,” Obodo said.

The designer said she is fully booked until May because brides who originally planned to get married at the start of the pandemic are coming back around now.

“They had only 25 people attending their wedding, so they didn’t want to have that. So they had to move it to 2022,” said Obodo.

Kanchan Ladhar and her sister got custom bridesmaid dresses made by Obodo for their brother’s wedding in the fall.

“I am like blown away. I feel like a princess,” said Ladhar. “I found pockets in my dress and I love it.”

Ladhar said her brother plans to have about 400 people attend his wedding. His family is grateful a guest list that long will be allowed, under the new restrictions.