Donna Dohi: New Zealand Dream Weddings owner on the rising number of elopements and small weddings

It's thought traditional weddings are falling out of favour as growing numbers of couples opt to elope. 

Those in the sector have noticed a rising demand for packages in the last six months, as more soon-to-weds choose to tie the knot alone, or with few guests. 

New Zealand Dream Weddings owner Donna Dohi believes it's reflective of a changing society. 

She says church weddings are becoming a rarity for her business, with the majority of people choosing an 'adventure wedding' at one of our scenic hotspots. 

Dohi says couples are looking to focus on themselves and keep their special day stress-free. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It looks like changes arrived in the marriage market as well,

(00:02):
more and more of us apparently eloping. So what's driving
this New Zealand dream wedding? Zoner Donna Docky is with
us on this, Donna, very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Isn't elopement different from what I think it is? Is
an elopement to me is two people who just sitting
there having a cup of coffee one day and going,
I'll tell you what, let's bugger off to Belle Cluther
and get married. And so it's not an event per
se or has that changed?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
It's changing, right, So what is it now today? Well
they're putting more thought into it. So they're now wanted
more adventure. So they will contact the wind Tennis say
look we want to Elope, can we go somewhere remarkable?
And we just planted and sometimes they'll have their mum

(00:43):
and dad. We do up to about six people for
the elightenments.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Why why is that called an elopement, not a wedding,
just a small wedding.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Honestly, I don't know. It's always been called elopement.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Is what's driving this? Is it money?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
No? I think it was the COVID lockdown the pandemic.
People actually sat there and actually thought about their life
and what's really important, right, because that's when the changes
really hurt.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
And having one hundred and twenty people, ninety eight of
whom you don't even know alike all that much. You
don't need that anymore in your life.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
No, definitely, And they don't want people at their wedding.
They don't know. It's about the couple. It's about what
they're wanting today.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
That's good. So you don't want your parents driving you. See,
you got this tricky thing. Did do some parents still
dip in or help out their daughter's wedding costs?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
No? Not that I'm finding as the couple themselves. Ah.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
So what about the other side of the equation when
you sat down during COVID as a couple and you went,
you know what, I'd rather travel. I'd rather have a
deposit for a house. I don't want it. Is that
driving it as well?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Definitely. We've had couples come from England over to New
Zealand and they have said that they can come over here,
having a lightment, a honeymoon, all their travel costs and
still have money left over for what it would cost
for a wedding back there.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
So it's really at the end of the day, it
is about money, isn't it. And surrounding yourself with the
people you know and love as opposed to you know,
the wide How's it affected your business because I'm sure,
I'm sure you'd rather organize a wedding for six thousand.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
No. I love the personal wedding. You lose touch when
you have a large wedding. That's where I found personally,
That's why I do the small weddings. It's more intimate,
it's more fun, it's more stress free and relaxed, and
it's all about the couple.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, excellent. And is business generally booming or are the
couple's going down that next track, which is we don't
need to get married officially in any way, shape or
form at all. We just live together.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
No business has fun to boom?

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Good good, Well, I'm pleased to hear it, don't I
go well with that? Donna DOOHI who is the New
Zealand Dream Wedding z owner? The times they are a changing.
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