Old school is the new cool — silver generation sets foot in wedding industry

Elders play a significant role in weddings, not only in terms of family hierarchy but also on a cultural standpoint, passing on traditional customs and rituals, as well as sharing old wisdom, or even new knowledge, to the newlyweds. 

Can an elder be a wedding videographer?

Social enterprise Silver Bliss formed a team of silver-aged workers to provide various wedding services, such as wedding invitation and gift production. Co-founders Michelle and Kylie hope to create jobs for elderly, promote re-employment, and bring something new to the wedding industry. Silver Bliss was selected as one of the Incubatees of Impact Innovation Lab by MakerBay Foundation, receiving The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund. At first, the team was very ambitious. “We initially thought that elderly could take up all tasks, from shooting wedding videos to venue decoration. We even wanted to teach them how to use AI tools. However, soon after, we realised that their routine, physical strength and skills have to be considered, and labour works are not suitable for them.”

Wedding favours in demand

Most re-employed elderly workers have no choice but to take up manual labour, with long working hours and low wages, which Silver Bliss tries to address. “Many retirees don’t want to retire, as they feel bored, worthless and depressed.” As a social enterprise, Silver Bliss needs to balance the needs of service targets and commercial value, and as Kylie mentioned, it has been the biggest challenge. After several discussions, the team decided to focus on tailor-made wedding favours. “Wedding favour is a necessity for weddings, and one of the most in-demand products in the market, with over hundred pieces per order. Meanwhile, the elderly can also fully participate in the production process.”

They provide recreational classes for the elderly as training on making aroma products, candles, mosquito repellent, etc. Kylie noted that 80% of the elderly who attended the classes are willing to work for them. The production process of wedding favours is flexible, as they can do it anytime at home or in the office. 

Old-school handicrafts turn out to be a hit

In just half a year, they have organised 11 classes, serving 150 people, and six elderly people aged 60 to 70 are employed for long-term. With the experiences they have, elderly are never short of ideas. “One of our products is ginger paste, recommended by the elderly for its health benefits. It turns out to be a hit at the wedding fair, connecting young couples and the elderly.” Some of them also volunteered to be ambassadors at the fair, explaining about traditional rituals like betrothal ceremony. Recently, they also launched a purchasing service for betrothal ceremonies, in which the elderly will help couples source everything they need, thus reducing unnecessary expenses.

Social enterprise on a par with commercial enterprise

In hopes of breaking the stereotypical views on social enterprise — supporting the elderly but sacrificing quality — Michelle emphasised that their packaging and promotion are of the highest standards. “Our gifts are made of natural materials, with newlyweds and elders’ comfort in mind. We also hire emerging designers to create tailor-made gifts for our customers, bringing the young and old together, to build a distinctive local brand that will alter biased perception towards social enterprises.” Looking ahead, they wish to design original products with brand character to expand their retail market.

Blessed are those who have many children?

They have a vision of breaking norms and stereotypes, “we want to redefine good fortune.” Traditionally, a woman of good fortune must have a spouse, children and a harmonious family, to pass on her blessings to the couple at the wedding. However, Michelle and Kylie believed that elderly people who live their life to the fullest, should also be recognised as people of “good fortune”. It might be difficult to change a deep-rooted tradition in a short period of time, but as a start-up, they are pushing it forward in their own ways, for example, making a documentary about the elderly, to capture their contributions to society through the lens, so that more people can notice them and appreciate their wisdom.