It seems brides aren’t going to let a little thing like a global economic meltdown get in the way of their weddings.
The all things wedding-related convention Brides 2009 saw much higher than expected turnout at the World Trade and Convention Centre yesterday. Organizers had thought the economic downturn might cause a drop-off, but it ended up having the opposite effect.
Jeff Archibald and Katie Matson were there shopping around, and said the recession hasn’t changed their approach.
“For the most part you’re young starting out, and you don’t really have a whole lot,” said Archibald
“I think whether there’s a recession or not, we’re going to go with the most cost-effective wedding we could possibly have.”
That makes the trade show a valuable tool. Dozens of vendors had set up displays on everything from DJs to dinner plates. Consumers were able to comparison shop without having to leave the building.
“It’s really impressive. There are a lot of vendors here and a lot of things that we wouldn’t have thought of,” said Matson.
Some found inventive solutions to cutting down costs. Edward Davis and Michelle Fournier are looking at heading south to hold their wedding in a cheaper, tropical country.
“Everyone’s in the same boat as us. We want to find the cheapest route, but at the same time not sacrifice anything,” said Davis.
“(Going south is) a vacation for everybody. We kind of need you for half a day, one day, and the rest of the time you can do what you want.”
Brides 2009 organizer Debbie Fennell didn’t have hard numbers yet during the day yesterday. But she said it was easy to tell just by looking at the busy crowds hustling into the convention that attendance was up over last year.
