KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Forgotten and frustrated — that's how Knoxville wedding and event business owners are feeling. Many said they're doing everything they can to stay afloat.
With social gatherings in Knox County limited to 50 people, owners are struggling to organize events with so few people. The Board of Health is also looking at tightening that restriction to 25.
"It's really hard when you see others getting help and we're being ignored," said Special Notes Entertainment owner Tiffany Ogle. "Small businesses are families, they have children and bills."
An event has a lot of moving parts: music, lights, decor and catering to name a few. It takes a lot of people to put on.
"We try to provide a better life for our family through this," said Ogle.
So when one event gets canceled or moved, business owners struggle due to the lost revenue.
"I have no idea how we're going to make it through the winter. I have no clue," said Nancy Barger owns The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farms and Swank Floral.
She's trying to get her businesses back on track. However, if social gatherings are limited more, the future will be unstable. It's the same for Ogle, who said the restrictions will affect business owners in the long-term.
Her business provides music, lighting and entertainment for events.
"For all that hard work to be killed within a matter of a year is devastating. It's awful," she said.
The Knox County Board of Health said that social gatherings are the origin for many cases of the coronavirus, but Barger and Ogle say precautions are in place.
"The venues have been so diligent with social distancing," said Ogle.
Business owners also said that closing down for two weeks or changing business models isn't possible.
"We can't do take out and curbside, we don't do food. We're like dead in the water," said Barger.
Both are scared for the future, but holding each other up just by trying to be positive. They said the Knoxville wedding and event-planning community has come together and helped each other through the COVID-19 pandemic.
People looking to book a wedding or event now have more flexibility, they said. A lot of contracts allow clients to move dates if needed.
The Board of Health is expected to take up the proposal for new capacity restrictions at its meeting next week.