On the 5th November we wrote to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson (and also copied our local MP) to express our concern at the lack of enthusiasm shown for the Wedding Industry.
As you can see this was not a plea for financial help, but more reassurance to couples that the wedding industry WILL survive, however the negativity coming from parliament is doing nothing to assist ourselves, or the many couples who are planning their wedding.
I have previously shared this with other industry colleagues who all agree that while things are tough, we will service and once we are allowed back to work, will be totally self sufficient once again.
Also, talking to couples, their main worries are the lack of guidance and support they have been given as to how to plan for their big day in the future.
As of today, 26th November, we are still waiting on a reply.
Dear Boris Johnson,
I am writing to you to request more support for the self-employed, NOT financial support but instead some moral support !
I am self-employed working within the wedding industry. I do not think I need to highlight the difficulties we are facing, probably far greater than most other industries. Most within the wedding industry are like myself, self-employed without premises as we are mobile so work from home and storage units.
Most, like myself, will have benefitted from SEISS, which we are grateful for although it does not take into account, we still have operating costs which are swallowed up with the SEISS payments, leaving nothing for our personal needs.
As I say though, I am not writing to ask about financial support.
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, as well as many other Conservative MPS have branded us as being UNVIABLE which has been absolutely devastating. This could not be further from the truth as once we are able too, business will soar and we will be in demand – already I am having to turn down a lot of work in the future due to already being fully booked, especially with the amount of weddings which have been postponed.
The comments that were made resulted in many couples contacting me to ensure their booking was safe, with a large number looking to cancel as they believed the message was that businesses within the wedding industry will not survive.
No doubt you will have an explanation to state this is not the case, however that is the message people received – a FACT by the number of worried couples who have contacted me and other suppliers.
Instead of this negativity, I am writing to ask you to try and post a more positive picture, highlight the hard work of the self-employed and the wedding industry, together with encouraging people to look into the future. After all, once this is over, unlike many other industries, the wedding industry will once again be self-sufficient and not need future government assistance. A little encouragement to let people know the wedding industry will flourish in the future will go a long way to help the industry which was one of the first to close and last to reopen.
I am expecting comments about how weddings have been allowed, however the numbers that are allowed to attend brings the result that we are as good as closed.
Please help us as a few words of encouragement, maybe even an apology for being classed as unviable, will go a long way to ensure our future.
I look forward to your reply.
Kind Regards
Christopher Dye
