Wedding bells falling silent because of COVID-19

Wedding bells silenced by COVID-19 The coronavirus outbreak has changed everything for people who were planning to walk down the aisle this spring. Adam Cook reports.

EDMONTON — Spring is usually the beginning of a busy wedding season, but not this year.

Ashley Lynn and her fiancé Daniel's ceremony is now on hold because of COVID-19.

The couple was supposed to celebrate on April 18 with 200 family members and friends. But they were forced to cancel after the province put a restriction on large gatherings.

"Everyone’s been really, really supportive,” Ashley Lynn told CTV News Edmonton. "I think everyone kind of saw it coming honestly. Most of the people that we reached out to said we were waiting for the phone call."

Ashley and Daniel aren't alone. The Enjoy Centre in St. Albert has been taking calls from brides concerned about dates as late as October.

“I think its super stressful for brides. Weddings are more expensive than cars," events manager Ashley Winnington said.

She says as many as 30 events have been postponed and about 80 per cent are weddings.

The government declared a public health emergency on March 17. The measures include cancelling mass gatherings over 50 people.

The Enjoy Centre is following those guidelines and rolling over deposits as credits and offering postponements to clients without any financial penalty.

Ashley Lynn and Daniel have pushed their special day back to April 2021.