Mixed picture for local wedding industry
A slow economy can stop many things, but if local wedding companies are to be believed, it’s not deterring thousands of British couples who are planning to fly to Cyprus this summer to walk down the aisle.
It’s often said that weddings are recession-proof, but that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t seeing a decline during these tough economic times and many couples are looking for lower costs
However, despite fears that the weak sterling and the current credit crunch will have a dire impact on tourist arrivals in general, Ayia Napa Town Hall say they have 1,200 weddings booked for the summer, with ‘very few’ cancellations.
“We have seen no change now from how it was last year,” Municipality wedding coordinator Anna Assioti Zakheou told the Sunday Mail.
“Sure, we have had some cancellations, but nothing to worry us.”
But with no money or deposits for civil weddings being required upfront, there is some concern that couples may pull out closer to the actual booking date.
“You have to look at the entire picture, friends, family, flights, photographer, hotels, spending money and the actual wedding costs are enormous, it’s an expensive endeavour, especially when nobody is sure about what this year has to bring,” one local wedding planner told the Sunday Mail.
Mandy Robinson, the senior wedding planner for local wedding company Medweds, says that they had bucked the trend and seen a rise in bookings for the coming year, but they had noticed that fewer guests were travelling with the wedding parties.
“Of course there are guests and family members that can no longer travel due to the economic situation. Some do cancel, but the weddings continue. We have also noticed there is sometimes slight trimming to budgets,” she said.
“We have actually had more bookings for this year.”
The Reverend Michael Crawford from the Anglican Church, did acknowledge that he was prepared for a drop in church services, but agreed that the civil wedding bookings seemed to be almost unaffected.
“I’ve heard civil weddings are buoyant, however we are expecting a 20 per cent reduction this year, plus we have had some cancellations due to the credit squeeze. Overall figures from some of the major companies suggest that the number of church weddings is down in general,” he said.
A supplier to the wedding industry also voiced fears that couples may still go ahead with their big day, but cut out expensive ‘extras’ such as limousines and lavish receptions.
Carol Richardson, from wedding website Confetti insisted that the credit crunch had made little difference to the sector and was not surprised by claims that the Cyprus wedding industry was not expecting a decline.
“The vast majority of people who have planned and saved for their weddings are still doing so and not being put off by economic events. It is expensive to do, but getting married in countries like Cyprus can be very cost effective,” she said.
“Instead of a big wedding here in the UK with maybe 150 guests, weddings abroad have maybe 20-30 family and friends and can work out to be cheaper, plus of course Cyprus is popular. It is in our Top 10 wedding destinations list.”
According to the research firm, The Wedding Report, the average amount couples are willing to spend dropped by 24 per cent in 2008 and it’s almost certain to drop again this year.
Internationally, some of the areas seeing a decline include wedding dress sales and catering, including everything from decor to table settings.
A more worrying development which could affect the growth of the local industry is a recently published report which has shown British couples can expect savings of £5,000 on average by shunning costly summer ceremonies and opting for the colder months between October and February.
In many cases, couples saved up to 50 per cent on the price of a summer wedding for the reception venue, wedding planners and caterers.
