The wedding and event industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in BC and we have come together to appeal to the provincial and federal governments to re-open weddings and events with a COVID safety plan in place. This request comes after we have seen countless industries that were deemed non-essential in the early days of the pandemic now remain open, no matter the case numbers, with safety guidelines in place.

When weddings and events are shut down the impact on the industry extends up to 18 months beyond the lock-down period. As long as there is uncertainty with the Provincial Health Orders and travel restrictions the small businesses that make up the wedding and event industry will not be able to recover. With each change in the restrictions the industry loses contracts for key dates which results in a loss of revenue and new business.

This is not only a matter of saving the wedding and event industry from going bankrupt. This is also about mental health and the increase in depression and anxiety. Face to face contact has been medically proven to be beneficial to our nervous system which releases a cascade of neurotransmitters that help regulate our response to stress and anxiety. Without this we are seeing mental health issues at an all time high.

As professionals we have proven many times over that an event executed with an event professional is and continues to be a safe event. Many in the industry will advise you that none of their events have had a case of COVID occur in the time frame following.

Please note that we are not devaluing the toll the pandemic has taken on our healthcare system. We recognize that the environment of a traditional pre-pandemic wedding poses a higher risk. Keeping everyone safe is our #1 priority and we applaud the medical professionals for their continued hard work.

What we do matters - to the couples who are getting married, the communities that are coming together in celebration of life’s events, the families that are grieving loved ones.

Please take the time to sign and share this petition to bring back events with a set COVID safety plan. Without your support many well established small businesses will not recover another uncertain year of restrictions.