How the Coronavirus Continues to Affect 2020-2021 Weddings (and What to Do About It!)
If you’re planning a wedding during this Coronavirus outbreak, boy does my heart go out to you! You are among countless couples across the world who are navigating some rocky waters, trying to reschedule, postpone, or simply continue to plan your wedding. The Coronavirus outbreak has already affected many 2020 weddings, and believe it or not, 2021 weddings too.
As an Indianapolis wedding photographer, I have already helped most of my spring brides reschedule their wedding successfully. While drafting emails and making calls, it hit me - there are so many of you out there who could also benefit from some professional insight and suggestions. It would be easy to overlook some things, so I wanted to gather my industry research and provide some guidance to all you lovely couples out there!
Which brings me to my first tip - Your Vendors Are Your Lifeline. If you hired great vendors that you love, you’ll find that the majority of us hold the same values of making sure you are taken care of - we are experienced professionals who are here to help! Chances are your vendors have already thought about this situation and may even have plans already written into your agreements. But if you still have questions, contact them! You may already have more options than you realize.
The most important tip here is to Communicate With All Your Vendors. Your venue will be your major determining factor in assuring your wedding day is still a go, but reach out to all your vendors if you have questions, and especially before making any changes to your wedding day plans. Collectively considering all their available dates will immediately give you your best options.
“Reach out to all your vendors if you have questions, and especially before making any changes to your wedding day plans.”
Which brings me to my next tip - Mind The Details, and don’t overlook the administrative details of rescheduling. For example, my bride’s deposits are transferable to another date as long as it’s available, within 18 months or otherwise agreed. I’ve also extended that 18 months to my current brides to best help them through this unique situation. What are your current vendors protocols? Are they offering extensions or exceptions for couples directly affected by the Coronavirus outbreak? If you’re rescheduling your wedding, looking at all these details will give you a great overview of your options, and make sure you don’t lose vendors or deposits.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don’t Stress Yourself Out. It’s ok! Take a deep breathe. There you go! Like I said earlier- your vendors are your lifeline, and these agreements are here to help, not hinder. Mulling over worst case scenarios in your head won’t help anything, and will more likely lead you to stress-snack further into this ‘quarantine 15’ lol. Actively practice self-care, tackle each situation individually and remember - your fiancé, friends, and family are there to help too!
Still feeling overwhelmed? Consider Hiring a Wedding Planner. Not only are wedding planners extremely helpful during your actual wedding day, many will help with the organization and planning process as well, taking a huge weight off your shoulders! And in this current climate, a little planing help might be just what the doctor ordered, (besides social distancing and lots of hand washing, lol).
Here’s where our 2021 brides are beginning to be affected: because so many weddings are being postponed, there is an extra high demand for wedding dates over the next couple years. So it’s very important to book ASAP!
Even if you don’t hire a planner, Stay on The Ball. And I mean really stay on the ball. Here’s where our 2021 brides are beginning to be affected: because so many weddings are being postponed, there is an extra high demand for wedding dates over the next couple years. I’m personally booking into summer 2021 already, and that’s a year and a half away! Locking in your vendors asap ensures you get the best choice of vendors on your ideal date.
Continue to Plan Virtually. This. This. This. I’m currently rebuilding my website, (so send me a little grace when visiting lol,) but check out my site & keep planning virtually! We are actually really blessed to have so much information at our fingertips, and I’m even continuing consultations via video chat, to give current and potential clients some face time! TheKnot, WeddingWire & PerfectWeddingGuide are all amazing websites with tons of vendors listed, so check them out and keep checking things off your list!
If you hate the idea of having to wait to be married to the love of your life, Consider Unique Wedding Plans! You could opt for a small ceremony now, with at-risk family members connected via video, and then reschedule your reception for later. This is actually quite common for couples who do a destination wedding. Be creative!
Lastly, Prioritize Love! At the end of the day, your wedding day is there to celebrate the love between you and your fiancé. Everything else is just the topper on the cake! Plans may change, but if you make sure to focus your heart on the real purpose of the day, everything else will fall into place!
xoxo,
Maryalice Williams
To all the brides and vendors reading this - please feel free to share with your community through the links below. We’re all in this together!