In 2020, Australia saw the largest drop in annual marriages, with just under 79,000 weddings registered, a decrease of just over 30 per cent. In the two years since, 64 per cent of NSW and ACT couples were forced to put their nuptials on hold.And if rescheduling their wedding once wasn’t heartbreaking enough, 28 per cent of couples postponed the event twice, with a further 10.6 per cent saving a third date to walk down the aisle. This was the case for engaged Albion Park couple Allira Nicol and Mitch Noveski. who were forced to set a third date for their ceremony. “We were supposed to get married first on the 28th of November 2020 but then we cancelled that in July,” Ms Nicol told the Sunday Telegraph.“It was funny because (with restrictions easing) it ended up being able to go ahead so we could have done it.”A similar situation panned out for their rescheduled November wedding last year, but with tough restrictions in place it wouldn’t have been the big white wedding the couple were dreaming of.“You want to have the day be the way you want it to be – no one being allowed to stand up. Everyone’s got to be seated and wear a mask … we didn’t want that,” Mr Noveski told The Sunday Telegraph. Not to mention that dancing was banned and their families from across the country were unable to travel interstate.The whole thing about Covid is that you can’t get excited, you don’t know if (the wedding) is going to happen,” Mr Noveski said. But with just under two months left until their long-awaited day, now scheduled for May 10, the parents of two are not letting their history with Covid cancellations crush their spirits.“We’re getting down to the nitty gritty details now,” Ms Nicol said.“There are a lot of people invested in this wedding; we’ve sent the invites out and so many are saying ‘I cannot wait for this wedding’ and I’m like ‘same!’, so it’s going to be a big one.”WeddingsTo-be-wedded couples weren’t the only ones left broken-hearted as a result of quashed plans, with businesses across the wedding industry shedding more than a few tears over a significant 80 per cent in losses. A survey by Easy Weddings found almost one in four wedding businesses in NSW closed temporarily due to the fallout from Covid-19, while just under 70 per cent remained open but reported they were struggling. Sales and Events Manager Francesca Vallone from Navarra Venues said the repercussions from the pandemic were overwhelming. “The wedding industry was hit hard during the pandemic, no questions about it,” Ms Vallone said. “The amount of calls we filtered seemed never-ending, and having to move dates and accommodating all our brides was always our priority.” However, in the wake of the pandemic, the new challenge for once-struggling businesses is to now cope with the high demand for their services due to a backlog of events. In February 2022, the number of weddings registered by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages doubled to over 4000, compared to only 2136 registered weddings in February last year. “Now that everything has settled into some sort of normality we are busier than ever,” Ms Vallone said. Outdoor venues are trending for couples wishing to host larger events, but more spacious indoor venues are also popular as the industry learns to live with Covid-19. “Couples want to make sure they choose a venue that will ensure all their guests, family and their loved ones are safe, and health and hygiene is top of mind,” Ms Vallone said. Wedding venues, planners and photographers have adapted their cancellation policies to accommodate the pandemic.And while the restrictions delayed hundreds of couples from standing at the altar, it has also changed the wedding scene by inspiring new traditions which could continue into the post pandemic world.Melissa Soncini, a marriage celebrant for 13 years, has noticed a sudden shift in the way couples think about their weddings compared to pre-Covid times. “I did a scissor lift wedding during the height of the pandemic where this couple couldn’t have their family (because of the restrictions), so they invited those that were nearest to them, being the people in their apartment block,” Ms Soncini said. Each person who had a balcony received a bottle of wine from the couple, with Ms Soncini levitating between floors on the scissor lift to collect the wedding rings while officiating the ceremony. Ms Soncini has found that 90 per cent of the weddings she officiates are livestreamed, either professionally through zoom or via Instagram live.The wedding celebrant has also seen an increase in elopements, as well as small, more intimate weddings followed by big parties. Daily Telegraph – News Feed latest episode“Some couples that elope are hiring Airbnbs instead of a traditional wedding venue so that they can invite 20 of their closest family and friends … taking a more DIY wedding approach.”Amid a time where couples are ready to drive off in their getaway car with the tinkering of cans and a “just married” sign plastered on the back, the future of the wedding industry is looking bright.“Should the Covid situation remain as is, we anticipate marriage in 2022 to meet or exceed 2019 figures as couples who have delayed their marriage start to book their weddings,” a spokesman from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages said.Got a news tip? Email weekendtele@news.com.au
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