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22 Issue 3 2020 EVENTS T he UK wedding industry has lost an estimated £4.8bn as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as a significant number of weddings were cancelled or postponed. There was a 32% drop in weddings taking place in 2020, compared to the previous year, with 127,000 nuptials postponed, according to a study by Hell o-safe.co.uk . Around 80% of UK weddings usually take place between April and September, but this year the nationwide lockdown and social distancing restrictions banning gatherings wiped out peak wedding season, with 80% of weddings postponed and 51% of celebrations “significantly impacted,” the study found. The highest rates of wedding cancellations were seen in the south of the country, with 43% of weddings cancelled in the Greater London area, followed by South West England (42%), the East of England (39%) and South East England (37%). Around 80% of cancelled weddings have been rescheduled for 2021, meaning the wedding industry will have to cater for around 160,000 more weddings than usual next year. Up to 410,000 weddings could happen in 2021, and with the average wedding costing £30,000, the UK wedding market could go from £7.5bn to £12.3bn next year. However, many venues and suppliers are concerned about making it through to next year due to the £4.3bn loss already incurred in 2020. Kalila Sangster of Yahoo Finance explores the impact on 2020 nuptials. CORONAVIRUS: £4.8BN LOST BY UK WEDDING INDUSTRY “Social distancing restrictions banning gatherings wiped out peak wedding season.”