Huge demand for Celebrants, Florists and Hair Stylists” – the Post Lockdown Wedding Boom

Weddings are back on the menu with online bookings company Oneflare reporting a huge spike in demand for celebrants, florists, hair and make-up artists and wedding photographers.

“Since 6 April when lockdown began and 1 June when restrictions were eased, we have seen a whopping 1,800 per cent increase in job posts for wedding hair stylists, a 280 per cent increase in requests for photographers and an 80 per cent increase in demand for celebrants,” said Mr Billy Tucker, CEO Oneflare.

“It seems weddings, albeit with some adjustments, are back on the menu,” he said.

The data also showed a 530 per cent increase in requests for caterers and a 600 per cent increase in party and event planning jobs.

Wedding planner Kerstyn Walsh from Hire a Bridesmaid said that she has been inundated with enquiries since the wedding ruling changed recently.

Kerstyn said that while the wedding industry had seen a ‘huge hit’, it has quickly adapted to respond to the pandemic with new procedures put in place for social distancing and health and safety procedures.

“Venues are ensuring thorough deep cleaning and availability of hand sanitisers and are spacing out tables and seating areas to stick to distancing rules.”

She said that weddings may never quite go back to how they were pre-pandemic.

Britt Nabarro from Sydney was due to get married at the Grounds of Alexandria on 26 March.

“I had 200 guests organised, my dress and shoes and seven bridesmaids ready and waiting. Then they cancelled international flights and it meant my two brothers, one living in New York and the other in New Zealand, couldn’t come.   My fiancé’s sister had just landed from New York but she just turned around and went back home again not wanting to get stranded here.”

In the end Britt and her fiancé (now husband) Josh got married at home in their unit with both sets of parents on hand so they didn’t break the ‘rule of five’ then they went out for a modest dinner to celebrate.

“It was a cold night but we sat outside because everybody was pretty nervous of being together inside,” she said.

Britt has since re-scheduled the wedding to 16 December but says she will hold out for longer if necessary because of the ‘no dancing over 20 guests’ rule.

“The most important thing is friends, family and dancing,” she said.

For more visit: Oneflare