A local bridal business continues to adapt to the pandemic.
Shelby Ch’ng owns Unveiled Bridal Boutique and says the wedding and bridal industry has been hit hard, even now that the province allows up to 50 people at a ceremony and ten people at a reception.
She says boutiques like hers can’t operate the way they used to, and can’t offer the same “atmosphere” to customers.
The store is open by appointment only, which Ch’ng says may become the new normal even after the pandemic.
She requires all customers to wear a mask, although not everyone is happy to do so.
“It’s difficult, because we still want to have an income, and service those people [who don’t want to wear a mask], but it makes it really hard to justify why we’re allowing some people to have masks and not others. So we just hands-down make everyone wear a mask,” Ch’ng explains.
The pandemic has also created some new problems for shops like hers.
“Shipping and receiving dresses has been an absolute nightmare,” she admits. “All of my dress shipments are now coming to my house, because if we are in an appointment at the shop, we can’t necessarily grab the door and sign for anything.”
Ch’ng says the restrictions have also changed the way some of her customers are approaching their weddings. Some are effectively planning two weddings: one smaller ceremony and reception that follow the province’s limits, and a larger event next year when brides hope the COVID-19 crisis will be over.
“It definitely has changed some of the conversation when purchasing a gown,” she notes, adding that other services like DJs and photographers have been losing work due to cancelled weddings. “It’s a real mess for the wedding industry.”
