10 Things to Consider when Planning your Wedding During the Coronavirus Pandemic
We are in the midst of a situation that is difficult and stressful to everyone, let alone engaged couples who are trying to plan their wedding. Though things seem bleak at the moment, the world will get through this pandemic and you will still get married! As you navigate your wedding planning moving forward, here are ten things to consider:
1. Your vendors want your wedding to happen.
You have selected the perfect date for your wedding and have been planning accordingly, but the farther into quarantines and lockdowns we go, the less it’s looking like that late spring wedding will be possible. It is a tough decision to make, but know that everyone involved with your wedding wants to make it happen.
If you need to postpone the wedding, follow the below steps and your vendors will do their best to accommodate.
Start with your venue and ask for their available dates in the future. Determine at least a couple options that will work for you.
Reach out to any of your must have vendors (maybe your caterer or photographer) to see if they are available for your new wedding date options.
Once you have confirmed your essential vendors, go back to your venue and book the new wedding date. Don’t wait too long, because there will certainly be other couples also looking to postpone their wedding.
Reach out to your remaining vendors with the new wedding date. As vendors confirm, ask them for an updated agreement to reflect the date change and any other changes from the original contract.
If any of your vendors are not available on your new date, ask them for a refund and if they can recommend any alternative vendors to take their place.
We have yet to come across a vendor that has given their client any sort of issue when asking to postpone due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but if you do have a problem with a vendor, ask your planner to negotiate on your behalf. That’s one of the many reasons you hired them!
2. If you are staying the course, proceed planning with caution.
We are all hoping that things will return to normal as soon as possible. If your wedding is scheduled for later in the year, you don’t need to postpone just yet, but you should proceed planning with caution.
You will need to pay extra attention to vendor cancelation policies and any non-refundable costs. Ask your vendors if there are deadlines for refunds or postponement. You also need to think about how many of your guests will need to travel for your wedding and be aware that the circumstances may or may not allow for travel by the time of the wedding. Even if continuing to plan your wedding as scheduled, every couple should have a plan B, if not plan C, as well.
3. If you postpone to a different time of year, there are some things you may have to revisit.
Some couples who are now having to postpone their wedding want the new wedding date to be as soon as possible. They have done all the work, are ready to be married and don’t want to wait any longer.
If this describes you and your partner, you may need to check in with some of your vendors to make sure that what you have ordered is in season. For example, the soup shooter appetizers that were planned for a cool day in March are likely not what will be featured on a hot day in July. You should check with your caterer to see if there will be changes to the items they will be offering on your new wedding date.
Similarly, you should ask your florist if there will be a change in the price of the flowers you have already selected or if they can provide similarly priced alternatives. The price of certain flowers can vary quite a bit depending on the time of the year and where they are grown.
If you are using a host hotel, you should ask that the room block be moved to your newly selected dates and if they can guarantee the rate will not be raised.
Image by Lizard Nickel Photography
4. If you have not yet purchased wedding insurance, it is not likely to cover coronavirus.
If you have already purchased cancelation insurance, coronavirus might be covered, but it depends on your insurance company and specific policy. Some wedding insurance companies allow couples to change the date of their wedding with no penalty as long as it is within a certain time frame. Other companies will only cover coronavirus claims on existing insurance policies if your venue is unable to host your wedding because it has been forced to close by legal authority.
There are, however, several companies that are NOT covering coronavirus claims on new policies (some have opted to not even sell new policies at the moment) because it is now considered a pre-existing condition. Your best strategy for wedding insurance is to ask for the ability to change the wedding date on the policy without penalty.
Image by T and V Photography
5. Your planning timeline may need adjusting.
With so many businesses shut down around the world, you will likely need to allow more time for wedding-related items to get to you. Dresses, suits, signage, favors and other items that you order could take up to months longer to be delivered than during a normal economy. Be sure to check with your suppliers and add in that extra time if needed.
Another concern is your engagement photos. As everyone is encouraged to stay home and flatten the curve, it may be a while before you are able to schedule your engagement photo session. Couples often use these photos on save-the-dates, invitations, wedding websites and more. Talk to your photographer about realistic expectations.
Image by T and V Photography
6. Your other wedding-related activities may not happen.
Your wedding is the main event, but there are other events related to the wedding that typically happen during your engagement. You may have been anticipating an engagement party, a wedding shower or bachelor and bachelorette parties. If those haven’t happened yet and your wedding is not too far ahead, you might not be able to have those ancillary activities at all. They are not important to all couples, but if they are important to you, be aware that you will need time before the wedding for those activities to take place.
7. Your honeymoon could be affected even if your wedding date goes on as scheduled.
The honeymoon is a tricky one. With so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and its varying degrees of outbreak in different parts of the world, travel is one giant question mark. Even if the town where your wedding is taking place is cleared for events again by the time of your wedding, other parts of the world could still be shut down. Airlines could still be grounded. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get to where you want to go on your honeymoon immediately after your wedding.
Our best advice here is to book it for later. Not only will your trip be more likely to go as planned, but you will have time to recover after your wedding and get used to married life. You will also have more time to recover financially from the wedding and save up for those extra honeymoon excursions!
8. This is an opportunity to get creative.
Some couples simply don’t want to wait! If you have your heart set on your wedding date, there are creative options out there. It is becoming more of a trend to have a small legal ceremony in private and save the big wedding reception and celebration for a later date. You can tell a few close friends and relatives, or it can be your little secret!
Other couples are live streaming their private, socially distanced ceremony. You can get married on your special date, you can share your special moment with all of your guests through the powers of technology and you can again plan the reception for a time in the future when it is safe for everyone to be in the same space again.
One couple in Australia determined to stick to their wedding date reached out to all their guests and told them to drive to the ceremony site in their vehicles. They arranged a way to broadcast the audio into the vehicles, so everyone in attendance was able to stay in their car and witness the marriage. Talk about creative!
9. Keep everyone in the loop.
No matter how you decide to move forward with your wedding planning, be sure to communicate often with your vendors, your wedding party and your guests. You will likely have to answer lots of questions in the next few months, but there will be fewer questions if you get out ahead of them.
10. If the uncertainty is causing you more stress, postpone.
As you continue your wedding planning, take a good look at how you are handling everything. Many couples have a wedding later in the year and already know their options, but they are on the fence about whether or not to postpone. Planning your wedding is a lot of work, but it is also supposed to be a fun and exciting time in your life. If the situation is causing you a serious amount of stress, make the move and postpone. You need to be concerned about both your physical and mental health right now.
Image by Lizard Nickel Photography
We know this is a particularly frustrating time to be planning your wedding, but it helps to know that we are all going through this uncharted territory together. It is important for both engaged couples and vendors to be flexible as changes arise. It will be interesting to see what new creativity comes about as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. Some ideas could catch on and change the way the wedding industry moves forward from now on.
The most important thing to remember is that you are marrying the love of your life. No matter what happens with the wedding, take heart in the fact that you are with your person celebrating your love in the present and your hope in the future.
Image by T and V Photography
If you have more questions about planning your wedding during the coronavirus pandemic, contact us today. We will be happy for the social interaction!