2020 - a year of resilience, determination and creativity.

There is no doubt that 2020 was the most unimaginable year for us all. 

I started the year with work trips to London, Edinburgh and my first speaking gig at an industry event in Devon, but could not have imagined that in a matter of weeks the whole nation would be on lockdown, and we would not be able to leave our houses!

I was furloughed in April for 7 months and in all honesty, I actually really enjoyed it! It meant I was able to spend precious time with my daughter Ivy and witness some major milestones.

In June my husband and I were both there to see her take her first steps (something we likely would have missed had she been in childcare).

How did venues innovate?

What stands out to me from 2020 is how resilient the hospitality industry is. With restrictions and rules constantly changing seeing, how venues adapted and pivoted was especially inspiring.

Many venues embraced technology and introduced virtual showrounds. One of our clients at WeddingDates managed to secure 35 new bookings from March - July 2020 using virtual viewings alone. Proof that going virtual doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on quality interactions with couples and, it doesn’t mean you cannot achieve real results.

Despite a global pandemic couples were still enquiring and booking their weddings. Since 1st April 2020 we have seen more than 21k enquiries from couples and over 800 weddings booked with our clients in the UK and Ireland. Although things have been different and certainly not the way we all imagined 2020 would be (after all it was THE year to get married for many couples) it is clear that you can't stop love!

How did couples get creative?

We have seen some incredibly inventive ways to work with current restrictions in the wedding industry from things like cardboard cutouts of parents and live streamed ceremonies to a drive-in wedding.

One story that I really love is of a couple who chose Braxted Park in Essex for their wedding and got married whilst friends/family watched from their cars on big screens outside. The couple then waved at their guests during a golf buggy tour of the grounds. Guests were given hampers of snacks and hand gel; they could also use a website to order food, delivered by waiters.

I am sure this is not the wedding the couple had originally planned but the creativity will be remembered fondly by them and their guests.

Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in how things are ‘supposed’ to be done when it comes to a wedding and forget the real reason you are doing it in the first place. Whilst COVID has had a devastating impact on so many of us I also think it has allowed couples the freedom to think outside the box and embrace ideas they never would have thought of; resulting in some amazing memories to look back on and share for years to come.

What did I learn in 2020?

• To be kinder to myself and accept there is only so much I can do each day/week. I was often guilty of piling too much onto my own metaphorical plate and getting stressed out when I couldn’t finish it all!
• To appreciate the little things much more and a slower pace of life. I realised that I am incredibly fortunate to live within walking distance of many beautiful places and that my toddler has an amazing ability to identify various birds/trees/plants - I was learning everyday alongside her.
• To do something for myself. I embarked on an online course to learn about childhood development and alternative education methods - I realised that I didn’t know when the last time I did something just for me was. Taking part in an 8 week course with people from all over the world was really inspiring and I learnt so much that I have implemented into my families day to day lives.

So although 2020 was the hardest year in decades for the entire nation I will look back with fondness when thinking about:

• The venues who showed incredible resilience, determination and creativity
• The couples who got married despite all the odds being against them
• The slow days and many hours spent exploring our local area as well as the personal development I was able to achieve.

While I enjoyed my time on furlough I was delighted to get back to work in October and I am certainly ready to get back out there and speak with my clients and visit venues in-person again (hopefully soon!). 

Although the start of 2021 is still looking rather bleak with lockdown #3 and the standard miserable January weather, I do believe that this year will be something incredible for the wedding industry. 

I predict that there will be somewhat of a divide in weddings going forward - there will be those who go all out and make up for what they missed out on in 2020, but there will also be couples who keep guest lists smaller as they realise they do not need a huge lavish affair and instead focus on luxury (fine dining, parting gifts for guests, gift boxes sent to guests who can't attend but may be watching a live stream etc) Budgets may not be reduced but money allocated to other areas instead.

It is true that things will remain tough for a while but when weddings come back, they will be back with a bang! With everyone having been kept apart for so long I anticipate there being some really spectacular celebrations.

Bring it on 2021!

 Image credit @vicensfornsphotography on Instagram