Sharon Au, a wedding planner, said many couples have asked if they can stage their banquets earlier over the fear of the sixth wave of the local pandemic.

Speaking on a radio program on Wednesday, Au gave an example of a couple who scheduled their wedding banquet near the end of this year but deemed the second phase of relaxation a better timing and wished to stage the banquet soon.

Relevant inquiries increased by 30 percent as well recently, she added.

Bars, party rooms and karaoke lounges will also reopen on Thursday. Au said some couples split their ceremony into three parts in a day, with the last part being a drinks party with friends, and reopening of bars offers more opportunities for weddings to be held.

Au also showed little concern if the booster jab requirement for the elderly starting from May 31 will significantly impact the banquets, citing the climbing vaccination rates among the elderly.