In addition to donning a white dress and descending the aisle on dad’s arm, most women – 60% in 2009, says StatsCan – want a summer wedding. But when it comes to B.C.’s bridal business, fall and winter mark the busiest time of the year.
“Most weddings occur in June, July, August, so many brides start their planning in September, October and November,” explained Soha Lavin who, as principal of CountDown Events Planning & Design, recently wrapped her sixth annual Crčme de la Crčme Grand Wedding Showcase at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. “It’s very busy right now, and it gets busier every year.”
Like many players in Canada’s $4-billion-a-year wedding industry, Lavin says the recent recession didn’t do much to slow business down.“Many people consider their wedding the most important event of their lives,” she said, adding that few are willing to compromise when it comes to their big day.
Lavin, who executes high-end nuptials in Vancouver and often works with couples willing to spend six figures on tying the knot, says her clients weren’t affected as much by the economy.
“I did hear of some service-related businesses that were affected, but overall I would say the wedding industry has grown,” she said. “When I first started, there were only a few florists to choose from. Now there are a lot more, and that goes for services across the board. There are even more venues beyond the usual hotel offerings, thanks to the Olympics.”
Not only did the world’s biggest multisport event result in a new stock of spaces suitable for ceremonies (for example, the Creekside Community Centre in the former Athletes’ Village), the 2010 Games also created a global buzz about Vancouver.
“The Olympics helped a tremendous amount by showcasing us to the world last February,” confirmed destination wedding planner Susan Hyatt, who operates out of Port Coquitlam as The Wedding Lady. “It’s not just Americans and Brits these days, but Canadians from across the country who want to get married in Vancouver.”
Thanks to increased interest, Hyatt, who claims cruise-ship activity helps boost the city’s popularity among couples wishing to get hitched away from home, recently added Vancouver to her roster of wed-worthy destinations.
“Just like Maui and the Bahamas, we are paradise,” she explained. “We have the ocean and mountains, beautiful parks, wonderful lakes. It’s very easy to plan a wedding in Vancouver.”
A reputation for being green, adds North Vancouver dress designer Patty Nayel, adds to the draw. The Kwantlen University fashion grad founded Pure Magnolia – an eco-conscious bridal studio – in 2008 after failing to find a sustainable-yet-stylish gown for her own wedding.
“At the time, I was working for a lingerie manufacturer, and we had so much silk waste at the end of the day,” Nayel said. “There’d be no use for it, and it would go in the garbage.
“Being raised in Vancouver, you learn to recycle and compost rather than throw things out, and bridal seemed an easy fit for something you could use those silk scraps for. I was also having trouble finding a high-quality eco-dress myself, so I saw a niche and need for this type of service.”
Besides using reclaimed fabrics from Our Social Fabric – a Downtown Eastside textile collection, recycling and re-manufacturing operation – Nayel employs environmentally friendly hemp and organic cotton in her designs and even repurposes vintage wedding gowns.
“The eco-friendly market in Vancouver is huge – everyone is looking for something,” she said. “There’s a lot more interest this year than last year. I’m already almost fully booked for custom gowns for 2011. It’s definitely growing.”
Angel Pui, who last July launched Weddingful.com – an online directory and social network for Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary brides – agrees.
“Not only is the market growing, but brides are getting savvier,” she said. “They’re asking, ‘How do I know, out of the 200 wedding photographers available in Vancouver, which is appropriate for me?’”
Pui, who plans to expand to New York and Los Angeles next year, currently connects brides with local venues and catering companies, but says she’ll be adding new eco-friendly and destination vendor categories to her site by month’s end.
“[Wedding planning] can be a painful process,” she said. “There’s so much choice out there. I saw this huge void in the industry and thought, people need help with this. It’s time to have a site that connects brides with vendors in a way that works.”
Lavin, who says hiring a professional planner can help ease pre-matrimonial pain, adds that Vancouver’s wedding industry is as impressive as it is wide. “The talent pool in Vancouver is over the top, it’s amazing. There are definitely some gems here. People here have the means to have their dream wedding, and local service providers are happy to oblige. They literally rise to the occasion.”