ZIWA 2020 honors the best wedding professionals in Spain
Zankyou International Wedding Awards (ZIWA) are the most prestigious awards in the wedding industry, where professionals, couples, and a panel of judges select the top providers in each city. ZIWA is held in most countries where Zankyou is present.
Winners of ZIWA awards receive recognition that guarantees the quality of their services, acknowledging their contribution to making the wedding industry increasingly professional and of high quality.
Once again, Zankyou Weddings organizes the most significant ZIWA (Zankyou International Wedding Awards) in the bridal world, both in our country and internationally. These awards are granted in all the countries where we have a presence, in both Europe and Latin America.
This year, due to the coronavirus crisis, the wedding sector has been significantly impacted, resulting in significant losses for both vendors and couples who had to postpone their weddings.
Despite the COVID-19 crisis, Zankyou has not missed the opportunity to celebrate the tenth edition of the ZIWA Awards, recognizing the best professionals in the wedding industry in 2020. Over 100,000 providers, 500,000 brides, and 100 expert judges from 10 countries have participated in this remote event.
Guillermo Fernández-Riba, CEO of Zankyou, explains their origins: “These awards were created to help brides find the best providers for their weddings, at a time when brides have access to more information and are more selective when choosing wedding professionals. These awards represent recognition of the efforts made by wedding professionals throughout the year. They are the only awards from professional to professional.”
How the awards are organized
From August to late September, voting takes place to select the best providers in the wedding industry within their category and region. For the first time, a special award will be given to the best of 2020, exclusively awarded by judges specialized in the industry.
Ratings by category and region are determined by votes cast by brides for the providers (50%) and votes from industry professionals themselves (50%). An expert committee has selected outstanding professionals based on the following criteria: the quality of their services and portfolio, ratings and testimonials from couples they have worked with, their level of experience in the market, and their presence on relevant online platforms in the industry (blogs, social media, websites, among others).
The industry’s reinvention
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the wedding industry. While the use of the internet to facilitate wedding planning had already grown substantially in the last decade, this year has pushed companies to move a large part of their communication online.
As a result, providers paid more attention to their social media and website updates. They reinvented and adapted their services because, given the circumstances, evolving their work became urgent and necessary to stay afloat and ensure stability in the industry.
“These awards were created to help brides find the best providers for their weddings, at a time when brides have access to more information and are more selective when choosing wedding professionals. These awards represent recognition of the efforts made by wedding professionals throughout the year. They are the only awards from professional to professional.”
Wedding Budgets for 2020 and 2021
It is clear that weddings have changed, and large celebrations, at least until a vaccine for the pandemic is found, are a thing of the past. Couples now opt for smaller gatherings, with the average number of guests decreasing from around 200 to between 50 and 100 attendees.
However, this has not significantly reduced the budget for weddings. Most couples will maintain the same budget for their wedding, with an average cost of €20,150 for about 100 guests, with civil ceremonies being the most common. Couples are investing more in venues that allow for social distancing and the necessary safety measures to ensure continuous disinfection in high-traffic areas.
The role of professionals
Providers are essential for the celebration of a wedding, but this year, more than ever, their role has been crucial in supporting couples, answering questions, and helping with everything they needed. In a survey conducted by Zankyou, it was found that 82.5% of couples postponed their wedding date, and the majority of them (67.3%) received full support and flexibility from all their wedding providers to make the date change.
In a survey of over 300 providers conducted by Zankyou, 87% of them said they could offer flexibility for date changes and had helped couples to the best of their ability.
That’s why, more than ever this year, we want to recognize the special effort made by providers to maintain the quality of their services, offer the best support to couples, and adapt to this ‘new normal’ in the market. Zankyou celebrates the 10th edition of its ZIWA awards, honoring the best wedding companies of 2020.
Source: ZankYou
Text by: Patricia Olivares
