WILL
WILL HURT
WILL HURT A LOT MORE THAN WEDDING PLANNERS AND CATERERS. >> Reporter: WEDDINGS ARE A
CELEBRATION OF LOVE, JOINING OF
FAMILIES AND, LET'S FACE IT,
THE REASON FOR A GOOD PARTY.
>> WE GOT MARRIED 4@IN BOSTON4@
>> Reporter: IF THERE'S ANYONE
WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS THAT,
IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO A PLAN THE
BIG DAY.
>> I LOVE SEEING EVERYTHING
COME TO LIFE, FROM THE DESIGN
FROM PREFERRED PROFESSIONALS,4@
AND SEEING THE MOMENT WHEN THEY
FIRST COME IN THE DOOR AFTER
EVERYTHING WAS DONE AFTER A
YEAR OF PLANNING AND THEY CRY, @
HAPPY TEARS. NOT BECAUSE
THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED BUT
BECAUSE THEY SEE EVERYTHING
THAT THEY WORKED HARD FOR, AND
THEN ALSO THE FIRST DANCE,
BECAUSE I HAVE A DAUGHTER.
DRUG4@4@ .
>> THEY SPENT YEARS HELPING
PLAN WEDDINGS.4@4@4@4@4@
>> THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW.
YOU CAN'T SEE AND TOUCH AND
SMELL EVERYTHING .
>> 13 MARCH WAS4@ WHEN EVERYTHI
SHUT DOWN.
NOTHING WAS OPEN.
EVERYTHING CLOSED. 4@
IT WAS GOING WELL4@. IT WAS
GARNERING 4@STEAM.
HAVING SURVIVED 9/11 IN THE
INDUSTRY AND THE RECESSION, I
NEVER THOUGHT COVID WOULD BE
THE ONE THAT WOULD PUT A PIN IN
EVERYTHING.4@
>> WEDDING IS PLANNED FOR
APRIL, MAY, JUNE AND JULY HAVE
BEEN REDESIGNED OR CANCELED.
>> WE ARE FACING GOING I4@NTO T
OFF-SEASON, NOT HAVING HAD AN
ON SEASON.4@
>> Reporter: SO, HE HAD A
THOUGHT, WHAT OF THOSE IN THE
INDUSTRY BANDED TOGETHER FOR A
CAMPAIGN TO KEEP THE COUPLES ON
THE PATH TOWARDS THE DREAM
WEDDING.
>> IN APRIL WE SENT A LETTER TO
THE GOVERNOR4@ AND WE
PHOTOGRAPHED 30 PROFESSIO4@NALS
FROM ACROSS MAINE, SOME AS FAR
AWAY AS BANGOR AND AUGUSTA.
>> IT WAS A LOT MORE WORK FOR
THEM BECAUSE WE HAD TO
PHOTOGRAPH EVERYBODY SEPARATELY@
. NOR I HAD TO VIDEO EVERYONE
IN DIFFERENT MOMENTS, NO ONE
COULD BE NEAR EACH OTHER.
BUT THE EVERYONE PULLED
TOGETHER TO HA4@VE ONE MESSAGE.
>> LOVE IS NOT CANCELED .
>>4@4@ THE IDEA IS TO BE MORE
FLEXIBLE.
>> Reporter: ULTIMATELY THE
CANCELLATIONS ARE IMPACTING A
LOT MORE THAN THE WEDDING
VENUES.
>> WE ARE 12 MILLION OUT OF
WORK IN THE EVENT INDUSTRY
WORLD WHICH IS SHOCKING. 4@
MAINE IS A BILLION-DOLLAR
WEDDING INDUSTRY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT MAINE
ALTOGETHER WE ARE 6 BILLION IN
TOURISM. IF YOU TAKE THAT AWAY4
YOU LOOK AT HOSPITALITY WITH
RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS, I'M NOT
SAYING WE BRING IT ALL INTO THE@
, BUT REMEMBER, PEOPLE ARE
STAYING FOR THREE-DAY WEEKENDS,
SOMETIMES FOR.4@
THEY STAY AT HOTELS.
THEY EAT AT RESTAURANTS.
THEY SHOP IN TOWN OR WHEREVER
THEY ARE STAYING4@, AND IT'S
TAKING A BIG HIT.
WE ARE AT $36 BILLION OF $115-
$125 INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTRY
ALONE.
TOOK THIS IS WHY COMMISSIONER4@
JOHNSON, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC
ALONE. TOOK THIS IS WHY COMMISSIONER4@ JOHNSON, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC@
AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HAS
BEEN I4@NVOLVE4@D IN NAVIGATING
REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES AS
OF RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO SET
GUIDELINES FOR EVENTS LIKE
WEDDINGS4@4@.4@
>> WE WILL HAVE SEATED
ACTIVITIES, THAT'S THIS OR, YOU
KNOW WE WILL HAVE STANDING
ACTIVITY, THIS TYPE OF
GUIDANCE.
SO, IT TAKES MORE WORK4@ TO FIN
ALL TH4@E ACTIVITIES AND THE
PIECES4@ FOR WEDDING VENUES.
BUT BECAUSE THE WORK IS SO
VARIED 4@AND VERY INDIVIDUAL TO
EVENT, WE HAD TO CARVE IT OUT 4@
THAT WAY.
>> DO YOU FEEL4@ LIKE YOU'VE BE
KIND OF THE UNHEARD VOICE OF
ALL 4@OF THIS? 4@
>> DEFINITELY.
THE WEDDING INDUSTRY IS BEING
COMPLETELY4@, CATERI4@NG, VENUE
DJS, ALL COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED.
WHAT WE DO EVERY WEEKEND4@ IS P
ON REALLY SAFE EVENTS.
AND WE KNOW HOW TO SAFELY PUT
ON EVENTS4@ OUTSIDE AT VENUES,
WITHOUT WATER, WITHOUT HEAT AND
WITHOUT A LOT OF THINGS.4@
WORK WITH US.
THAT'S ALL WE ARE ASKING.
>> Reporter:4@ THE STATE ALLOWS
GATH4@ERINGS OF UP TO 100 PEOPL
GIVING WENDING VENDORS A LITTLE
MORE BREATHING RO4@OM.
IT DOES CHANGE THE WAY WEDDINGS
LOOK.4@
SACKED THE COST HAS 4@INCREASED
TO.
TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE
GUESTS FEEL COMFORTABLE.
>> Reporter:4@ WE THOUGHT WE
WOULD COME INTO SALVAGE JULY.4@
THAT IS GONE, AUGUST IS GONE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BE HERE FOR 4@
NEXT YEAR.
>> ARE YOU NERVOUS THAT YOU
MIGHT 4@NOT BE?
>> YES A. 4@
>> NO SLEEP AT NIGHT.
SAK WE ARE A SMALL FAMILY-OWNED
COMPANY. YOU CAN ONLY WEATHER
SO MUCH OF THIS BEFORE YOU
CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE.