Lillybeth Melmoth from Lillybeth Makeup said brides had gone from planning two years in advance to six or three months during the pandemic. Sometimes she is booked only a week before a wedding.
Bay of Plenty brides and grooms are hastening to get hitched after years of pandemic pressures and postponements.
As the stress of the unknown and cancellations hit brides and grooms, what they wanted on their big day changed. And those in the wedding industry have needed to adapt.
Tauranga's VanillaBridal owner Jasmin Igglesden said she had needed to change her entire business model as brides' needs shifted during the pandemic.
Previously brides-to-be would come in to the shop six to 18 months before their big day.
They would peruse the racks, try on their favourites and once their dress was selected it would be ordered and altered to suit them.
But Igglesden had needed to increase the number of samples she bought for the store as brides began to shop just months or weeks before their wedding.
"We used to sell off the rack but only if we needed to. We had bride after bride coming in . . . with not enough time for us to order."
It worked well for brides who wanted to have their event without any unexpected Covid-19 related risks, she said. Having to reschedule weddings had tired couples out.
But Venter hoped things would return to pre-pandemic ways in time.
Adaptation and compromise was key to surviving as a business, he said. This included being able to provide a contactless service.
"This is ultimately how we get through this . . . compromise when we can. It's just a re-think."
Tauranga based Lillybeth Makeup owner Lillybeth Melmoth said, pre-pandemic, Bay of Plenty brides would book for their big day years in advance.
Tauranga based Lillybeth Makeup owner Lillybeth Melmoth says brides have been booking last-minute. Photo / Andrew Warner
Now, she was seeing them book six months, three months and sometimes only a week prior.
"It's pretty hard to say what their motivations are but I can say I have noticed brides are planning weddings in a shorter time-frame."
Many couples had postponed their weddings, wanting to wait until a larger number and overseas guests could attend.
Rotorua based Grace Moleta of Grace Jones Photography said she had just had her best wedding season in 10 years.
Bookings had come in fast, too, with sometimes just a few weeks notice.
Some were from couples needing to replace their unvaccinated photographer, others were couples who just wanted to get married after having to postpone.
Rotorua based Grace Moleta of Grace Jones Photography. Photo / Hillena Parsons Photography
"I've had quite a few stressed brides contact me."
She believed some of the adjustments made during the pandemic, such as ceremony livesteams, would remain.
Tironui wedding venue co-owner Rebecca Pethybridge is no stranger to adaptability; she and her husband have built that skill during years of farming. She believes that enabled them to work the venue with flexibility during the pandemic.
Twenty minutes outside of Rotorua, she said the rural setting made it easier to work with keeping things safe during a Covid-19 environment.
She said they left it up to the bride and groom to keep updated with relevent restrictions, such as vaccine passports and guest numbers.
It was simple, she said, in that they provided all the appropriate "bits and bobs" like signing in and QR codes.
"I think by being flexible in a business anyway, you're more likely to attract customers."
The hardest part was when Covid-19 first began impacting people's travel and event attendance, she said.
"I found I was having to give back deposits and refund totally everything."
Pethybridge spoke with lawyers and changed the deposit to a booking fee. If Covid-19 impacted a date, depending on the timing there were options for rebooking or refunds.
The pandemic had taught her to be more stringent and up-front, she said, and contracts were adjusted accordingly so couples knew exactly what they could or could not get back.
