According to bride Lien Anh and groom Quoc Thang (from Ho Chi Minh City), their recently held wedding resulted in a financial loss because only about 70% of the guests showed up due to heavy rain and flooded roads. Fortunately, the couple only booked 10 tables at the restaurant, so the loss was relatively small.
Ho Van Hue Street (Phu Nhuan District) has the highest concentration of wedding dress shops in Ho Chi Minh City.
"Many people don't attend the wedding but only send money as a gift. Besides the cost of food, plus the cost of beer and soft drinks for guests, the restaurant adds service fees, archway, table decorations, MC... The total cost for one table is approximately 5 million VND. If guests give less than 500,000 VND per person as a gift, it's a loss. You can't be stingy on your special day. Some guests invited two parents but brought two children, filling up four seats, and giving only 1 million VND as a wedding gift... Five years ago, my sister got married, and after deducting all expenses, she still had a little extra left over for a trip . Now, losing even a little is considered a blessing," bride Lien Anh confided.
Revenue decreased by 70-80%.
Mr. Tran Quoc Dat, owner of Ngan Vo wedding dress shop in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, commented: "Compared to previous years, wedding revenue in Ho Chi Minh City has decreased by about 70-80%. Many wedding shops are closing down or selling their premises to new owners. My friend, the owner of a famous wedding shop on Ho Van Hue Street with branches in many districts of Ho Chi Minh City, used to sign an average of about 600 wedding service contracts per month during the wedding season (from September to January of the following year). This year, even though the wedding season is almost over, the number of contracts per month is only around 100. My shop is also experiencing an 80% drop in revenue. Previously, I had branches in Singapore and South Korea, flying there every month to take photos. Now I have to close everything to cut losses because revenue is not enough to cover expenses."
Wedding photos taken at a film studio.
Mr. Dat added that he currently has to "tighten his belt and wait until next year's wedding season, hoping that the economic situation will improve so he can make a living from this profession." Ngan Vo Studio, which used to have 8 employees, now only has 2 because "revenue has decreased too much." Mr. Dat can no longer "support" his staff with monthly salaries as before, so he has resorted to a "call-and-go" system, meaning he hires freelance photographers, makeup artists, and photo editors whenever there are clients.
Mr. Hoang Ngoc Huy, founder of Alibaba (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) and Paris (District 9, Ho Chi Minh City) film studios, shared: "Compared to previous wedding seasons, the number of couples coming to the studios for wedding photos has decreased by about 80% this year. In previous years, during the wedding season, an average of 100 couples visited the studios each weekend, but this year there are only 15-20 couples. On weekdays, there are fewer than 10 couples."
Wedding album photography team
Ms. Minh Thuy, manager of a wedding studio in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the studio's revenue has decreased by 60-70%. Currently, very few couples take albums in studios or film sets; instead, most opt for one large photo (60 x 90 cm or 60 x 120 cm) and five smaller 13 x 18 cm photos, costing only about 1.5-2.5 million VND, saving 4-5 million VND (compared to taking a whole album).
"A few years ago, couples with good financial means often went to Da Lat, Da Nang , Ho Coc, Vung Tau... to take many photos. But this year, only the very well-off go to film studios; most just take one large photo as a keepsake. The same goes for restaurant receptions; instead of booking 20-30 tables, many people now choose only 10 or fewer to reduce costs. I also know of a bride who went to Tan Binh market herself to choose her wedding dress, then after the ceremony, she begged the shop to take it back, but few shops were willing to buy it," Thuy said.
Take on extra work to keep your job.
To survive in his profession, Mr. Ngoc Huy had to offer many other services. He built the Ca Go Dong Tourist Village next to the Alibaba film studio to welcome visitors to enjoy a Southern Vietnamese countryside-style experience. In addition, the Alibaba film studio also offers garden cafes, live karaoke nights, and venues for weddings and birthday parties. During Tet (Lunar New Year), Mr. Huy designed new settings for customers to take photos in traditional Vietnamese ao dai dresses. "Many industries are facing difficulties during this period, so it's necessary to be flexible and adapt business methods to overcome them," Mr. Huy expressed.
Wedding photos in the 60 x 120 cm size are currently popular among couples.
Mr. Long, the owner of a tailoring shop specializing in suits and wedding dresses, with a stall at Tan Binh Market in Ho Chi Minh City, shares the same opinion: revenue has decreased by 70%, and to survive in the business, he needs to tighten spending, increase the variety of designs, and seek more customers through online platforms.
Wedding photographer Cuong Thinh, with over 20 years of experience, also offers other services such as graduation photos, birthday photos, baby shower photos, and event photography… "But I don't get many bookings. On days when I have free time, I open a ride-hailing app to earn extra money to make ends meet," Thinh said.
According to Mr. Thinh, nowadays, wedding photographers and videographers also need to be tech-savvy. Wedding photos and videos are processed using software and then uploaded online for clients, eliminating the need for printed copies as before.
Alibaba Film Studio now offers coffee service.
Mr. Thinh is also worried about his profession as mobile phone photography technology continues to develop. "In a few years, I don't know what I'll do to make a living. Now, mobile phones take photos as beautiful as professional cameras, and they process effects very quickly. I'll probably have to quit this job. Wedding photos are usually printed in small sizes (13 x 18 cm or 15 x 21 cm) and sent to clients via social media, so mobile phones can easily meet the demand," Mr. Thinh mused...
Compared to 10 years ago, wedding service prices have not increased but have actually decreased. For example, the current price for a complete wedding package, including: photo shoot at a studio in the city, rental of suits, wedding dresses, traditional Vietnamese dresses, reception photography, bridal makeup, bridal bouquet… ranges from 10 to 20 million VND depending on the luxury of the studio. Currently, the cost of a complete package including one large photo or album shoot in a studio with wedding day services is only 7-10 million VND. If shooting an outdoor album, the price is around 6-10 million VND.
These prices apply to the majority; however, some high-end bridal shops may charge over 20 million VND for photo shoots and 20-50 million VND per wedding dress rental.
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