Weddings In Ireland after COVID 19
Studies carried out on the wedding industry in Ireland after COVID 19 are showing that 2021 is likely be the industry’s busiest yet!. We are expecting to see the off-peak, normally quieter weekdays and months booking up quickly. This will include the 2020 postponements along with couples who would have been planning a 2021 wedding anyway.
Some 21,000 couples walk down the aisle in Ireland every year, and where they have been so many weddings inevitably cancelled or rescheduled until a later date, we are looking at a possible 30,000 or more weddings in 2021, although this figure is likely to be greater.
Latest Irish Wedding Trends
The latest wedding trends see people choosing to have two weddings, a smaller one in keeping with restrictions and a bigger celebration further down the line. Others are opting for a much more streamlined approach with guests attending virtually.
Weddingsonline recently surveyed over 600 couples to find out how Covid-19 has affected weddings in Ireland. We see that the vast majority of couples effected postponed their wedding (88%), with only 2% actually cancelling altogether, which is not too surprising actually. 78% of couples decided not to cut any part of their wedding, and 49% of couples had to find new suppliers for their postponed wedding, mostly due to unavailability on the new date at the time of cancellation.
So as we head towards August – September, if you had planned a small gathering, and everyone feels comfortable going ahead, then there may not be any reason to move it out. However, if it was a bigger wedding of even 80 or more, couples are being forced to look at their options right now to find out when their cut off periods are for postponements.
Perhaps you have already done this at this stage. But since it’s not, technically in a lockdown period, it may be treated as a cancellation. And rebooking may incur costs. In most cases however, suppliers and venues are being very flexible according to many of our clients.
Upsurge in Weddings in 2021
So now, and with all taken into consideration, it is safe to assume Summer 2021 will be busy. We will have newly engaged couples snapping up dates alongside postponements. So if there’s any possibility of moving to the shoulder months or wider, you may be wise to consider it. You’ll also likely to find that your suppliers are more available for your new date.
The average wedding in Ireland caters for 140 people and to be realistic, groups of that size will not be gathering in a room this side of September. Wedding will go ahead, of course, but they won’t be what couples had imagined for their big day.
It’s a really personal decision since, for many, waiting another two years to tie the knot is just too far off. But for those in no rush, it’s worth considering. Pushing it all back to 2022 will open up more availability for your suppliers and your guests. And you will get to spend all of 2021 chilling, because you’ll be the most prepared couple ever.”
Social-distancing measures are likely to continue making big wedding celebrations essentially impossible. Certainly for the rest of this year, and indeed possibly for next year. But, we are all hoping, that as restrictions lift and the confidence is regained, larger gatherings will be possible. When this happens, we anticipate an upsurge in weddings in the spring of 2021. Each year, in early Spring / Summer, we see great activity across the Irish wedding industry. Suppliers now are expecting that in 2021 there will be an equal spread of celebrations across the year. And this trend is likely to continue into 2022.
Autumn – Winter Weddings in Ireland in 2021
No one knows what the future holds. Right now, we are all hoping to get through the Autumn and Winter without another peak of COVID19, which the country would badly able to cope with. So we are all trying to be the ever optimists, to be able to look ahead with positivity, in the hope that we will be able to dress the brides and their Mothers and Mother in Laws’ for their special day! Dressing women for weddings is what we do. Tailor making their Mother of the Bride outfits and made to measure dresses for their big occasion is our forte. We design to enhance and make the most of the clients figure. And we look forward to continuing providing this unique service to our clients.
Maire Maire Forkin Design
Contact us: info@maireforkin.ie
M: 086 1721563
