NEWS & CITY LIFE
W e ddi ng I ndustry | by A n d r e a E . M c H u g h
To Have and To… Put on Hold Members of the wedding industry share their struggles and hopes as they navigate the impacts of COVID-19 Any other year, now would be “go-time” for Rhode Island’s wedding business. Venues, caterers, planners, photographers, bakers, transportation companies, florists, bands and DJs, makeup artists and salons – few of these professionals would see a free weekend spring through the end of the fall. But, as we all know, these are anything but normal times. In mid-April, Allison Barbera, who owns
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ProvidenceOnline.com • June 2020
her eponymous onsite makeup and hair service, co-founded the Rhode Island Coalition of Wedding Vendors Facebook group, a digital space where vendors can voice concerns and seek solutions to the challenges the pandemic has presented. “I expected maybe 50 people to join,” she recalls. “We’re up to 650.” Members are encouraged to contact state leaders to express
their business challenges and seek answers about future event guidelines. “Personally, my company’s revenue is down 60 percent compared to last year,” says Barbera, who employs 18 independent contractors. Some vendors have turned creative to keep busy in lieu of weddings, like Luke Renchan Entertainment, which orchestrates driveby birthday celebrations with a DJ in tow,
