As many of you know, I have been planning weddings now for 9 years, starting of when I was the Wedding Coordinator @ the beautiful Long Beach lodge Resort on Cox Bay in Tofino and then when I started my own business in 2006. Throughout the years I have seen an increase with couples choosing either Tofino or Ucluelet as the place for their destination Wedding, presently there are between 4-500 ceremonies a year. And as these celebrations grow the demand for more wedding services also increases, we now have 5 commissioners performing sometimes 2-3 weddings a day depending on the season as well as a few church officials. We also have many great local photographers with varied styles of “How to tell your Wedding Story”, not so long ago there were perhaps two choices.
For a few of the services, the last couple of years have been challenging and this had to do with the turn on the economy, there was not a drastic reduction in couples getting married but those who were, chose to have a hands on wedding with friends & family helping in whatever capacities they could such as the Bride’s Hair or the Wedding Cake being made by a friend or someone on the guest list taking the pictures. For some young couples the need for a big wedding was not as important as saving for their first home so small Elopements increased with just about every local Resort having an Elopement Package available.
I have to say that I am starting to see the tide turning, in that couples are starting to look ahead again and plan their wedding for down the road in 2013. This is great for the local economy and for Canada in general, your dollars go farther when used at home and especially when you can be guaranteed that you will have local businesses that will make sure that your wedding vision becomes a reality within your budget. The process of getting married in British Columbia is simple compared to other countries and our beaches here on the West Coast make the perfect backdrop for any wedding ceremony.
So for any of you wishing to say “I Do” whether it is just the two of you or with friends and family be it this year or next, I would suggest that your Date and Venue should be at the top of your To Do list as the bookings are definitely coming in. And this is especially important if you have seen the work or have had a recommendation for a local Wedding Service as they will be in demand as well.
I look forward to booking more weddings for coming season and for those of you with a date in mind for 2013 or 2014 !
Remember I am always available for a Complimentary Consultation…..
