‘Blind Year’ will be hindering wedding organizers businesses this year

This year is unfavorable for wedding organizers, a sector representative interviewed by public broadcaster TDM Chinese has said, justifying the statement by calling 2024 a “Blind Year.”

The name comes from Chinese beliefs that a year in which the “Spring Start Festival” has not been held, is called a “Blind Year,” or a “Year of the Widow.”

The term generally means the year is unfavorable for both marriages and new business ventures.

The interviewee said there will be a significant decrease in the number of wedding ceremonies over this year.

The comments were made on the sidelines of the 22nd Asian Wedding Celebration Expo 2024 held over the weekend at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Center.

The same person said many of those visiting the Wedding Expo were planning for ceremonies in 2025.

Another interviewee, with a booth dedicated to wedding photography, also expected a decrease of about 20% in business this year because, since the pandemic, couples have chosen “simpler” and “lighter” packages, aiming to spend a lot less than couples have spent in the past.

The Wedding Expo, which took place over three days, invited wedding companies from Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and other places in the Asia-Pacific region, representing 62 different wedding planners and companies in all.

Business owners have also said that in the last few years, the wedding ceremonies industry has developed rapidly.

Fierce competition has led most companies to seek overseas clients and to turn to travel photography to expand their customer base.

Wedding fairs and expos have become less popular among a younger generation that prefers to search for information and packages online and this has contributed to fewer visitors this year.

According to the business owners, the business is currently divided into even shares of online and offline.