Regina-based wedding planner Angela Hodel has brought the new pop-up wedding trend to Saskatchewan, and couples all over the province are jumping on board due to the pandemic.
“A pop-up wedding is a really unique way for brides and grooms to get married, where essentially multiple vendors are shared by multiple couples on the same day,” explained Hodel, owner of Imagine Events, the company putting on this new style of weddings.
And when she says “multiple vendors,” she means all of them — including the indoor-outdoor venue space, photographer, wedding commissioner, caterers and more.
A pop-up wedding date can accommodate as many as six couples, said Hodel, and allows for up to 20 guests for a short ceremony, photo session and limited cocktail and appetizer reception. Couples share the cost of all the amenities, which Hodel said cuts down a wedding budget significantly.
The ceremonies are also still private, with each couple given their own time at the venue to celebrate with their guests before the next couple arrives.
With plenty of couples calling off their wedding celebrations entirely, Hodel said she is seeing interest in the idea of a low-stress, small ceremony that still offers the chance to tie the knot surrounded by loved ones.
“They’re unique and customizable on their own, but I think what makes them the most special is the actual intimacy of it,” said Hodel. “When you have a small, intimate ceremony, you get to have more time with your closest friends and family, which I think is a nice alternative.”
The idea for these unique, shared ceremonies actually came to Hodel before the pandemic, but the continuing complications from public health restrictions has really helped the new service take off.
Originally, the idea was to offer a more budget-friendly option, while still maintaining the intimacy of the wedding experience with friends and family.
“Even before COVID-19 was a thing, there were a lot of people that were interested in having a budget-friendly, intimate wedding with all the stresses removed for them,” said Hodel.
Now, with the added concern of following public health guidelines that are ever-changing, Hodel said that pop-up weddings are quickly becoming a highly sought-after service because of their ease.
Pre-selected vendors cut down the stress of decisions, and the planners from the company keep a close eye on public health restrictions to ensure everything is up to code.
“We’ve had really great interest in the pop-up option because it already basically adheres to all the COVID restrictions already,” said Hodel. “It's just one less thing that you don’t have to worry about, because you can ensure the safety of your guests coming to enjoy your special day.”
“It’s not a complicated process for us to move this to a new location, that’s definitely something we could do,” said Hodel.
The pandemic initially delayed the launch of the new service in April of 2020, but Hodel debuted the ceremonies later that fall to a big response.
Since then, Imagine Events has held two dates and married more than 10 couples, with more upcoming dates already on the calendar for later in the summer, fall and winter — although Hodel said they are filling up quickly.
Couples interested in taking part in one of the upcoming dates can learn more online at reginapopupweddings.ca.