P.E.I. wedding DJs say beaten-up industry recovering after dance ban lifts

DJs in Prince Edward Island say business is starting to pick up now that the province is allowing dancing at weddings.

Tyler Jeffery, owner and operator of Tyler's DJ Service, said earlier this week he's relieved the restrictions on dancing, put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, have now been lifted. The wedding industry was hit hard by public health bans on large gatherings during the pandemic.

"It was kind of scary there for a little while, but now that that's happening, it's going to help out with bills," he said. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on for before I had to close down. It was very scary."

The province started permitting dances on July 18, in the middle of the all-too-crucial summer season for the wedding industry. It also raised the limit of people who can be hosted at a marriage ceremony to up to 200.

Jeffery said he's done seven weddings since restrictions were lifted, which is as many as he did for the entire year in 2020. He said he has about 18 more bookings coming up in 2021; before the pandemic, he averaged about 30 to 40 weddings a year.

"It's probably not quite as busy this summer as it has been in the past," said Davis Ward, who performs under the stage name DJ DWX.

"But we're up and going and we've got a few [weddings] under our belt here so far and they've been a great success. We're looking forward to keeping the ball rolling."

Jeffery and Ward said they're eagerly anticipating business to ramp up next summer and beyond.

"For bookings, we probably have about 30 right now for next year," Jeffery said. "I've actually had some inquiries for 2023, and I've actually four for 2023 now."

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