2020 has undoubtedly brought a range of unanticipated challenges not only to each individual, but to every profession on a global scale. With the wedding industry uniquely impacted by fluctuating restrictions and social distancing practices, tying the knot and saying ‘I do’ during such circumstances has required careful adaption. Here, Western Australia Wedding & Bride editor Bethany Hayes speaks with a range of the state’s wedding experts to explore how they have evolved their practices amidst changing restrictions and shares their hopes for nuptials of the future.

With the COVID-19 pandemic introducing unexpected and ever-changing circumstances, plans for weddings in 2020 have been turned on their head. As these Western Australia wedding vendors share, the key has been adapting to changes as they happen, helping couples navigate restrictions, and remembering that – regardless of guest lists or location – the celebration of this union really is all about love.

VANESSA ORD – Civil Celebrant

Spending her earlier years working in drama teaching and theatre work, Vanessa Ord’s organisational skills, ability to work with people on a personal and intimate basis, and strengths in writing and presentation aligned themselves perfectly for a career as a civil celebrant. “Who doesn’t want to be part of such a wonderful occasion?” she remarks.

Prior to 2020, Ord’s work would typically begin a year to eighteen months before a wedding, with couples contacting her for an initial meeting after booking a venue, during the earlier stages of the wedding planning process.

With the unpredictable and unplannable nature of a global pandemic, Ord’s work, like that of so many celebrants and wedding professionals, has changed substantially. “At first, most weddings were simply postponed, as everyone assumed this would be over in a few months. Then couples needed to decide whether to change the whole nature of the wedding and simply keep it small and simple, or to wait it out until they could have everyone attend.” The implications of this meant Ord lost most of the season’s weddings, with approximately half being put on hold and the rest being either cancelled or rebooked for another time and place. For the weddings that do go ahead, the most consistent and frequent change that Ord notes is the size of the guest list, which simultaneously alters the nature of the ceremony itself. Without overseas or interstate guests, the people present at weddings “are a very small, select and personal group”. Ord notes that this difference has prompted writing more

ROBERT GORDON –Owner Of Squint Photography

Drawn to the camera from a young age, Robert Gordon’s passion for wedding photography stems from the range of personalities he has been able to meet while capturing such a special day in people’s lives. Having photographed weddings with guest lists as high as 450 in the past, a typical wedding for his company would involve the photographer capturing every aspect of the day as it unfolds – from the bride and groom getting ready, to full ceremony and reception coverage – with each moment preserved for eternity in a beautiful image.

The early months of 2020 and the implications of the pandemic have seen Squint Photography reschedule and reorganise numerous weddings for a later date, with many weddings often being of much smaller nature; some comprising of just the bride and the groom, their closest family, the celebrant and photographer present. While the easing of restrictions has seen weddings largely go back to normal in Western Australia, being able to adapt to these changes, and support couples along the way, while still capturing the abundance of love at their wedding, has been crucial throughout the course of the year.

“As a whole, I think we have been very fortunate in Western Australia. There have been many other places in Australia that have had much greater restrictions,” Gordon notes. “I think most photography studios have been in a similar position, where we have been juggling with organising and rescheduling our current clients while still trying to maintain bookings for new clients.”

Gordon reiterates that factors, such as this pandemic, are out of any couple’s control, and instead encourages couples to focus on their connection and love for one another. “The only advice that I could give any couple is that they always need to remember that this is a situation that is out of their control, they just need to do the best to cope with what is put in front of them, try to stress as little as possible, and as long as their love for one another is strong everything will be okay.” Looking down the barrel to the future, Gordon predicts there may be more midweek weddings to try and clear a backlog of weddings from 2020, with lots of new weddings being planned in addition to the rescheduling of weddings that have been affected by COVID-19. 

NATHAN KEENE – Director Of Fireteller Wedding Films

With more than fifteen years of experience working across film, television, corporate video production and documentary filmmaking, Nathan Keene and his team of premium cinematographers at Fireteller Wedding Films are no strangers to capturing the moment, and take pride in producing the best possible video for couples, being especially drawn to the storytelling aspect of weddings.

For weddings of the future, Keene hopes the celebrations can be bigger and better than ever, with couples able to bring their special day into fruition exactly as they intended. “I hope everyone bounces back safely in 2021 and that couples are free again to plan the wedding they have always wanted. I also hope 2021 sees a boom in destination weddings as couples start to explore overseas again. We can travel anywhere in the world for a destination wedding and can’t wait to get back out into the world.”

ALISON MAYNE – Wedding Executive At Joondalup Resort

Having an enthusiasm for organising events and undeniable creative flair, Alison Mayne’s role as the wedding executive at Joondalup Resort is an ideal match for her organisational skills and love for all things wedding-related. Having brought countless weddings to life before, Mayne describes it as a huge honour to be involved in the creation of a couple’s special day. “I love the reaction of the bride and groom and seeing all the months of planning and the details come together on the day,” she explains.