Hawaiian business owners are lamenting their losses in the wedding industry, as fewer Asian couples are making the trek to the islands to marry and spend a honeymoon. Certain businesses that depend on Japanese weddings have been particularly hard-hit. One wedding chapel formerly saw only Japanese couples schedule weddings there, but over the past two years, a higher proportion of non-Japanese couples have booked the chapel’s services.
According to business owners, Japanese couples are staying closer to home, traveling instead to Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa. Since 2006. Japanese weddings in Hawaii have declined by more than 30%. Japanese brides cite the high cost of airline travel as one of the primary reasons for planning a more local wedding.
Bridal shops are also reporting a significant downturn in their business. One owner said that the number of weddings she works on has dropped from an average of 15 per month to just one or two per month in the past year. Those weddings are getting smaller, as well. Brides are not buying the more expensive dresses and they’re also renting fewer tuxedos.
Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding
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