Chelsa Longbotham, owner of Funky Petals flower shop, demonstrates how some of the bright flowers in the shop’s cooler could combine to make a fun and eye-catching bouquet or centrepiece.
By Kierra Slater
Wedding season is only months away, but will the weak economy stop new brides from walking down the aisle this year?
Canada is currently in a recession, but that may not stop newly engaged couples from tying the knot, especially those who have been saving for their day.
Lethbridge’s Once Upon A Bride has been full with bookings and excited future brides. Soon-to-be bride Kathie Trinh has planned her big day for August and has been lucky enough to not feel too much pressure from the economy.
“My fiancé and I both work in the oil and gas industry. He works on a drilling rig and the demand for work has been slow due to the price of oil as well as the volatile nature of the market. That makes it difficult to want to put money into the wedding instead of adding to our savings. I am fortunate to be in a position with high job security at a midstream gas marketing company, so we are still financially secure enough to be able to pay for the wedding.”
Weddings are about uniting the bride and groom, but it’s so special to share those moments with your loved and cherished ones. Trinh has been cautious of other people’s budgets attending their summer wedding.
“In the early stages of planning we thought it might be nice to have a destination wedding but we didn’t want to put that financial burden on our families and friends, especially in this economy, so we ended up booking our venue in Calgary.”
Lethbridge’s Enmax centre held the Diamonds Bridal Exhibition and Fashion Show earlier in January and had a successful outcome, showing high hopes for this year’s wedding season despite the current economy.
“I believe that the wedding season will still be relatively large, but I also think that the average cost of weddings this year will be less than previous years due to tighter budgets and less dispensable income, said Trinh. Dresses aren’t the only things to budget for. New brides and grooms have to consider attire for the party, catering, rings, venues, photographers, music and flower arrangements.
According to Chelsa Longbotham, a local florist from Lethbridge based Funky Petals, they haven’t felt the effect of the economy in their shop yet.“We have 22 weddings booked for the summer already. Flowers can range anywhere from $200 or $5,000. Maybe it’s still too early, but we haven’t had any brides come in saying they’re pinching their budget. Every bride is different though and it might be too early to tell.”
There are many ways to successfully budget and save for a wedding. For some people the best way may be holding off or keeping their wedding costs low. Others have been saving up and the economy won’t affect them. Either way, it’s about the happy couple’s love and how they want to share it.
For richer or for poorer, many couples can’t wait to say their vows.
