Stand quietly on Columbia Street and listen: amid the noise of traffic and construction and the wind whipping through the city's downtown corridor, there's the sound of wedding bells.
Or maybe it's the clink of glasses being raised in a toast. Or the swish of a silk and taffeta skirt.
At least, that's the way it sounds to the shoppers who head down to "bridal row" to find the " perfect dress, choose just the right stationery or book flower arrangements in advance of their wedding day.
The wedding business is not immune to the shaky economy and conservative spending that has impacted many other industries - but for many, it seems, the big day still deserves plenty of splurging.
"We're definitely feeling the crunch," said Genève McNally of Dream Group Productions, one of Metro Vancouver's largest wedding and event planning companies. "But, you know, people are still getting married, they're still having fun planning those celebrations - they're maybe just being more strategic about their spending."
Fortunately for New Westminster, which has an abundance of bridal wear shops - including Bridal Gallery, Lisa's Bridal, Bella Sposa and more - the dress is one area of the budget that seems to be the least likely to be adjusted.
McNally notes that in recent years, they've actually seen a jump in the price that many brides are willing to spend on a gown - helped in part by shows like Say Yes to the Dress, which features highend New York bridal salon Kleinfeld's.
"It used to be that the average bride was spending about $1,200 - but shows (like Say Yes) really seem to have changed the way people look at spending on the dress. The average now is probably $2,000 to $4,000, even in this economy," she said.
Though McNally has had brides who spend up to $8,000 or $10,000 on a designer dress, she's quick to note that what she sees among her clients is skewed towards the higher end.
"Our clients do tend to be those who are spending a bit more, so it's all relative to how much money you have to spend," she notes.
Still, they have clients that run the gamut from low-cost to lavish, and the way that their services are used is changing with the times.
"With this economy, we've seen a rise with wedding day management and a decline in full wedding planning," she says, noting that some brides plan the entire event themselves but then call in a planner
for help on the big day, to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Kendra Johnston with the Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Association says she's still hearing moderately good news from vendors in the area despite the downturn in the North American economy in recent years.
"(It's) generally positive - while many couples may have a smaller budget for their wedding than they would have a few years ago, they are still getting married," she said.
She pointed out that means there are still as many customers, even if they are being more cau-tious about how to spend their money.
She notes that the downtown area is a still a big draw for brides from around the region, thanks to the fact that so many shops are located close together - and that's good news not just for the bridal business but also for other businesses in the area.
"It's highly positive and beneficial - not only will bridal parties stop for lunch or coffee, but they are also drawn into our unique boutiques and specialty stores, many of them direct spinoffs of the bridal industry," she said.
It's also a good opportunity to let people from outside the city explore the "new" down-town, with the revived River Market and new developments, she notes, and to realize there's more to the business district than bridal.
"It's definitely a benefit to be known as a destination for wedding dress shopping," she said.
Follow reporter Christina Myers on Twitter, @ChristinaMyersA.
BY CHRISTINA MYERS REPORTER [email protected]
For more stories in our bridal business feature package, see the following:
Sewing up success in New West
Blogger: Finding the frugal and fabulous
