As California nears a full reopening on June 15th, the events industry is full of business. According to Suher Haidar, an event planner and owner of Refined by Suher and FRE by Suher, this is a step towards recovery after more than a year of losses.
“No days off, not for me anyway… I love it. And I really enjoy doing what I do and we are very blessed, ”said Haidar. She’s been booking year-round, telling NBC 7 that she’ll be taking inquiries well into 2024.
“It’s a lot of work, late nights, schedules, deadlines, playing Tetris with all the providers we have available,” said Haidar.
Haidar said the state’s full reopening, slated for June 15, will open the doors for more events.
“Indoor dining will be much more accessible, which means we can have rehearsal dinners in restaurants, venues and hotels that are reopening,” said Haidar.
According to state health officials, most indoor venues can reopen without restrictions for events with fewer than 5,000 attendees. And when it comes to traveling for events, in most cases the state will no longer advise Californians to quarantine upon their return.
“It is very welcome after such a difficult year in which we can do nothing and work with our couples and give them their special day,” said Haidar.
Some of her clients are planning their weddings for the second time, like Natalie Hormann.
“We should get married in May 2020,” said Hormann. She is Haidar’s senior wedding assistant and client, who announced to NBC 7 that she has been planning her wedding since 2018.
“We are relieved and grateful for the love and support we had during this time, and everyone is just as excited as we are to finally have our special day,” said Hormann. Her wedding has been postponed to October and she is expected to celebrate the big day safely, but without many restrictions.
Meanwhile, Haidar said she was preparing for a long year of events and was excited to be back at work.
“I think it’s just the beginning of what we’re seeing, and the boom is really coming,” said Haidar, predicting that the demand for newly scheduled events will last at least a year.