Wedding Industry Ready to Renew Vows for 2021

It’s been estimated that the wedding industry is worth between $72 billion and $78 billion annually.

Much of that money goes to the people behind the scenes — a band or DJ, food vendors, photographers, planners/coordinators, waitstaff and florists.

The coronavirus threw a proverbial monkey wrench into the entire industry as weddings and receptions were canceled, resulting in a loss of revenue for some and a loss of deposits for others.

“With our governor’s restrictions, some weddings chose to postpone while others were intent on keeping their date,” said Ben Schippers, marketing manager at Apple Mountain in Freeland, which has an outdoor chapel as well as a multitude of rooms and halls inside as well as a pavilion for outdoor events.

“We saw a lot of people move from inside events to outside facilities,” said Schippers. “We can easily accommodate groups of up to 100. Inside, however, we were limited to 10 (people) per event. Some people still went ahead with just their immediate family.

“Different people adapted what they felt best for their groups and families,” he continued. “One couple went ahead with a small ceremony and plans to have a traditional reception on their one-year anniversary date.”

Anita McKeith has been a mid-Michigan photographer for several decades. She is concerned with not just wedding cancellations but an increase in cancellations of events in general as well as a lack of booking.

“I personally have work to fall back on, but others don’t,” she said.

Jack E. Luna, the owner of High Fidelity Entertainment of Saginaw, said he lost a revenue stream with his mobile disc jockey service.

“All we can hope for is a better 2021,” he said.