A busy 2022 forecasted for the wedding industry with Covid tensions easing

The most popular wedding locations in the Netherlands have been receiving an increased number of bookings in recent weeks. The wedding industry representatives expect to start catching up on canceled weddings this fall, with a real wedding boom taking place in 2022.

"2021 is too soon for most couples to reschedule their wedding. That's why some decided to postpone their wedding until next year", wedding planner Nina de Jong, from Trouwen met Nina, said to NL Times. "Some had to postpone their wedding more than one time because they really don’t want to celebrate their beautiful day with restrictions", de Jong said.

Couples across the country are happy to finally be able to say "yes" in front of their friends and family. "I want to wear my dress so much. That's finally going to happen," Zoë Peeters said. She and her partner Patrick will be getting married in September, they told RTL Nieuws last week. They were forced to postpone their wedding four times amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We will finally celebrate that love soon. You can bet that we will make it a great day, hopefully in the presence of all our loved ones," she said.

One of De Jong's clients found the creative solution to keep their wedding date in 2021, but to save the party for a later date. "In 2022 or 2023, they will have a really big party with all friends and family."

Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has previously indicated the restrictions in the wedding industry could be dropped in September, and relief is possible as early as June 26 when more lockdown restrictions are expected to be relaxed. Some clarity on this could be given at a press conference Friday night.

"Yet many couples do not yet dare to confirm their day definitively", said Teun Vermaas, owner of the popular wedding location West-Indisch Huis in the center of Amsterdam. 

"But many couples are waiting to see how the coronavirus measures develop and are keeping their heads up. But if all registrations go through, it looks like 2022 will be busy," said Vermaas.

De Jong, the wedding planner, also predicted that even more people will begin planning their wedding at the end of the year should they have more security that their special day will indeed go through. “At the end of the year, couples might be more confident and then wedding planning requests will come in faster.”