It’s been a tough year for Ontarians looking to get married.
With a lot of wedding plans having been put on hold for the past two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for venues and other service providers is up substantially – and so, too, are the associated costs. The number of weddings in the province are expected to be up by 46% in 2022, according to The Review, while the cost of a wedding could increase by more than 20%, reports The Globe and Mail.
This year has seen “unprecedented demand for weddings,” according to Rebecca Chan, founder of a wedding and event planning business bearing her own name. “The wedding industry has seen supply chain issues, shortage of staff, and a huge demand for dates, venues and vendors. Anyone planning a wedding right now knows how hard it is.”
Enter luxury menswear retailer Harry Rosen, which sells no small amount of suits and accessories to men who are tying the knot. The clothier launched its “Marry Rosen” contest this summer, which was held over Instagram in early July. The contest saw dozens of entrants, but it was Randy Coles and Justin Hughes-Jones who won the opportunity to be married on the retailer’s rooftop patio, overlooking the Toronto city skyline. The wedding hosted 35 guests and was catered, decorated – and, of course, the couple were clothed – by Harry Rosen and its partners.
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“Our Marry Rosen winners are just one of many couples who have faced the challenge to find the perfect place to celebrate in the midst of unprecedented demand,” said Ian Rosen, the retailer’s president and COO. “We’ve been so privileged to partner in helping men get ready for one of life’s most important moments. We feel honoured to take it one step further this season.”
The idea for the contest was developed by Zulu Alpha Kilo, which designed the look and feel of the contest and supported the event with social assets.
“Weddings are a pivotal expression of one’s style, but they need a runway to show that off. The backlog this year has been felt everywhere, yet we found a clever new way to at least make one couple’s desire to get married an easy reality,” said Wain Choi, ECD at Zulu. “All the puzzle pieces came together and it was a really beautiful event.”
