Wedding Industry Feeling The Pinch Of Coronavirus Pandemic
March 21, 2020 at 12:51 a.m.
Wedding Industry Feeling The Pinch Of Coronavirus Pandemic
By Amanda [email protected]
With a statewide restriction on gatherings of 10 or more people, nuptial postponements are starting to trickle in.
Tim Hamman, who’s owned Male Fashions, 109 E. Center St., Warsaw, for six years, said tuxedo rentals and purchases are his business’s bread and butter.
“I’ve had one (wedding) cancel and say they’re just gonna do it later probably in the fall, and I’ve had several people that are kind of like, ‘Well, we’re waiting to see about our venue,’” he said. “I have a lot more (weddings) for June on, so we’re hoping June is OK, but the May wedding was the one who cancelled, and I’ve got one in April, but I haven’t heard anything from those people.”
Hamman said folks are still coming in to get fitted and pick out their stuff if the event will happen later in the year, “but retail wise, it’s been pretty slow. Nobody’s coming in for that, and prom business is nonexistent, because we’re probably not gonna have prom, and that’s about 40% of my rentals for the year.”
Hamman said he doesn’t know what to do to offset the damage this new virus world will wreak on his company, but said he’s trying to stay active on social media to keep the word out that they’re still open.
“I think that if it’s gonna carry on for a long period of time, that I wish we’d just say, ‘OK, everybody stay home for two weeks or whatever and make it mandatory and get it done with and go back to what we think is normal,’” Hamman said. “I think the longer it drags out, the worse it’s gonna affect me and other small businesses.”
June seems to be the month brides and businesses hope to be walking down the aisle.
Blake McBrier, 21, said she’s getting married June 20 at New Hope Freewill Baptist Church.
“I think it will be fine,” she said, even though she and her soon-to-be husband invited about 250 guests to the wedding and reception. “If it comes down to it, we’ll just push back the celebration and get married at the justice.”
McBrier said she’s already purchased everything they need for the wedding, so she’s holding out for June to be fine.
McBrier also works at Anderson Florist and Greenhouse, 1812 N. Detroit St., Warsaw, and said the business hasn’t had any cancellations in arrangements yet, but cited that most weddings they have on the books begin in June. She also said that some businesses – including Anderson’s – if it’s a 30-day notice to cancel or postpone orders, it’s usually fine.
Tina Harting, a wedding and event planner at Warsaw Party Rental, 415 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, said the business has already taken a hit with people calling and cancelling.
“Our motto is we rent everything but the bride and groom,” Harting said. That goes from tables, to linens to glassware, and they set it all up. But it’s not just weddings that’s taking the toll.
“We do a lot of graduation open houses, weddings, company events, we set up our tent rentals ... it’s been bad. We’re trying to tell customers if their event is in June or later, we’re trying to suggest to stay calm and hold off cancelling until it gets closer.”
With a statewide restriction on gatherings of 10 or more people, nuptial postponements are starting to trickle in.
Tim Hamman, who’s owned Male Fashions, 109 E. Center St., Warsaw, for six years, said tuxedo rentals and purchases are his business’s bread and butter.
“I’ve had one (wedding) cancel and say they’re just gonna do it later probably in the fall, and I’ve had several people that are kind of like, ‘Well, we’re waiting to see about our venue,’” he said. “I have a lot more (weddings) for June on, so we’re hoping June is OK, but the May wedding was the one who cancelled, and I’ve got one in April, but I haven’t heard anything from those people.”
Hamman said folks are still coming in to get fitted and pick out their stuff if the event will happen later in the year, “but retail wise, it’s been pretty slow. Nobody’s coming in for that, and prom business is nonexistent, because we’re probably not gonna have prom, and that’s about 40% of my rentals for the year.”
Hamman said he doesn’t know what to do to offset the damage this new virus world will wreak on his company, but said he’s trying to stay active on social media to keep the word out that they’re still open.
“I think that if it’s gonna carry on for a long period of time, that I wish we’d just say, ‘OK, everybody stay home for two weeks or whatever and make it mandatory and get it done with and go back to what we think is normal,’” Hamman said. “I think the longer it drags out, the worse it’s gonna affect me and other small businesses.”
June seems to be the month brides and businesses hope to be walking down the aisle.
Blake McBrier, 21, said she’s getting married June 20 at New Hope Freewill Baptist Church.
“I think it will be fine,” she said, even though she and her soon-to-be husband invited about 250 guests to the wedding and reception. “If it comes down to it, we’ll just push back the celebration and get married at the justice.”
McBrier said she’s already purchased everything they need for the wedding, so she’s holding out for June to be fine.
McBrier also works at Anderson Florist and Greenhouse, 1812 N. Detroit St., Warsaw, and said the business hasn’t had any cancellations in arrangements yet, but cited that most weddings they have on the books begin in June. She also said that some businesses – including Anderson’s – if it’s a 30-day notice to cancel or postpone orders, it’s usually fine.
Tina Harting, a wedding and event planner at Warsaw Party Rental, 415 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, said the business has already taken a hit with people calling and cancelling.
“Our motto is we rent everything but the bride and groom,” Harting said. That goes from tables, to linens to glassware, and they set it all up. But it’s not just weddings that’s taking the toll.
“We do a lot of graduation open houses, weddings, company events, we set up our tent rentals ... it’s been bad. We’re trying to tell customers if their event is in June or later, we’re trying to suggest to stay calm and hold off cancelling until it gets closer.”
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