Elk Ridge Resort ecstatic for return of wedding season

Wedding season is right around the corner and this year is shaping up to be one of the busiest ones in recent years in Saskatchewan.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way a lot of things are done and weddings were certainly one of those things. But as we enter the summer of 2022, there seems to be a sense of normalcy again. 

Ashley McLean, the wedding coordinator for Elk Ridge Resort, said there’s a unique buzz this year for wedding couples who have waited patiently to have their magical day. 

“We’re thrilled for it. We have seen such an uptick in our wedding bookings for future years and we’ve just seen so much excitement amongst all of our couples,” McLean said. 

During the pandemic, trying to organize a wedding was one of the more difficult things to do.

“There was a lot of small weddings that happened and, of course, anything that happened was subject to the changes or whatever the restrictions were at the time,” McLean said. 

“There was a lot of being really flexible, changing up how we were doing things. It was complex to execute small events and certainly, none of it looked like how it normally did.” 

McLean says the general consensus from most couples who went ahead with their special day was that it was still worth having it rather than delaying. 

“A lot of people that went ahead with their planning on (a) smaller scale was because they liked the idea. We heard some people that have said their experience was everything they could have hoped for and it was magical,” McLean said.

However, some people who waited patiently to have the wedding of their dreams are finally getting their chance to shine this summer. 

“You have all of these weddings being booked in that are back to full scale and you see all of these couples that maybe waited out COVID times and are super-excited to bring out all of their family and friends that they really waited out for,” McLean said. 

McLean says Elk Ridge is prepping for a super-busy season now ahead of the surge and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We’re ready to go full throttle with all of our events,” she said. “I think that COVID times are not necessarily out of our heads, but certainly we are excited to push forward.”