ST. LOUIS — As newly engaged couples walked through the Off White Wedding Show Sunday afternoon, happy brides browsed the wedding dress samples at the Kirsten Paige booth.
Owner and designer Kirsten Moen said, recently, potential clients have started with one particular question: Am I going to get it on time?
Moen's business has picked up as the coronavirus virus disrupts the wedding dress supply chain in Asia.
St. Louis-based Moen has an advantage over her overseas competition, many of whom have slowed or stopped production: Moen can guarantee delivery dates, averaging a four-month production time but able to promise turnaround as quickly as four days.
"It's a big relief. They feel so comfortable," Moen said. "When they know that I am the person behind the email and I am the designer, it has definitely spiked up appointments."
Event planner Allissa Reimer said people across the wedding industry are talking about the potential impacts of coronavirus.
"Anything that is coming from overseas, it's definitely kind of been like a 'Maybe we need to check on that,'" Reimer said.
Another concern is travel disruptions.
"We have couples that people who are traveling from overseas," Reimer said. "One of my couples was planning on bringing their officiant over who lives in Hong Kong, and now it's 'Is he even going to be able to come to the wedding much less officiate it?' So it’s definitely affecting those kinds of travel plans."
Reimer has long had a recommendation for anyone worried about unforeseen circumstances on their big day: buy wedding insurance. She said coronavirus is another reason couples should look to protect their big day.
"Insurance is always something that we talk about," Reimer said. "But it's something that we're kind of highlighting a little bit more just in case."
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