Covid-19 put a stop to many activities for two years, which also caused all wedding plans to ground to a halt. This summer, however, is gearing up to be a summer where all postponed marriages can make it right and catch up on lost time, according to De Standaard.
Demand is huge and people are getting married on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, although that used to be the exception. According to Nele Gommers of hospitality group Kammers, many couples do not find celebrating a marriage on a Thursday evening to be an issue as they assume that good friends will take the day off anyway.
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Moreover, the wedding season has been extended. While May through September used to be the most popular months, April and October are now included in the wedding season as well.
The pressure is on
The rush to get married means that the pressure is on, especially for couples who have waited for a long time. Delayed weddings often mean that more money is spent on extra decoration and wine than originally budgeted for. Meanwhile, newly engaged couples need to be creative in order to get married in 2022 and 2023.
The pandemic changed wedding patterns and small weddings have been necessary to conform to coronavirus measures, but whether they will last remains to be seen.
"I think that intimate weddings will remain a thing, although we are also seeing the big parties coming back. There is a lot of pressure and a wedding is a good way to see everyone again," said wedding planner Iris Decreus.
Gommers agreed. "The dancing part of the wedding has become very important, precisely because it has been on hold for so long. Because the couples have waited so long."
Pricier weddings
While the appetite for weddings is increasing, so too are prices. "In order to remain profitable, suppliers and venues have to pass on the recent price increases," said Decreus.
But some couples can get lucky despite having to wait, such as Jolien Berg and her boyfriend. Berg hadn't noticed many price differences and had become something of a wedding planner due to the long pandemic wait, while also having to reschedule their wedding several times.
Their wedding had been postponed since 2020 and it will now be a winter wedding. But Berg is unfazed by the change.
"With the knowledge that I have now, I can go all the way," she said.
