PLANNING IN PANDEMIC
As wedding planners, our work revolves around things that usually make people really happy. Throughout the year we work with excited couples and lead the charge to create one of the best days of their lives. Due to the pandemic, we’re now also guiding them through a lot of disappointment and some really tough decisions. It’s made us sad with them and for them, and on top of that, there’s the “business” part of our business to deal with.
At the end of the day, we’re trying to stay informed and provide as much guidance, advice, and support to our clients as we can. Here’s a look at what wedding planning looks like for us right now and what we’re seeing and hearing in our industry.
The Realities of Rescheduling
No one can say when things will go back to “normal” and when the weddings we love, the ones filled with family and friends all in close proximity, will happen again. So understandably, most couples with dates in the next few months are choosing to postpone to late 2020, 2021, and even 2022. New dates mean weddings that might call for new vendors, with budgets that need to be modified, and potentially during different seasons that call for changes in style and design.
What does it mean for us? It means we’re doing what we do best - pivoting under pressure and doing everything possible for our couples. It’s up to us to help them navigate this strange territory and still plan a wedding they can be thrilled about. We’re working with our couples to design styles that suit their new date or venue; sometimes finding new vendors who are the perfect match for their new plans; ensuring their contracts, existing and new, are on point; and figuring out what other changes they might need to make for their (new) big day.
Adjusting Plans
Some couples are keeping their original dates and modifying their plans to follow official guidance from their states and tips from public health organizations. By staying informed and planning carefully, small-scale weddings can still happen, and can still be great!
Couples who decide to go this route are tasked with making sure each aspect of their day is safe for themselves and their guests. One important step is making a list of every space that will be used and who (vendors, family, the couple) will be in those spaces at any given time - violating gathering size rules can result in fines for everyone involved, even guests. Some vendors and guests will still choose to wear masks or gloves to protect themselves and others, so it’s important for couples to decide if that will be bothersome to them.
Even though creating a safe environment for everyone is important, it’s okay to make light of these strange times where appropriate and embrace the circumstances. Hand sanitizer at each seat and/or as favors, or warm towels for cleaning hands between dinner courses are thoughtful touches. Updating wedding websites regularly to keep guests in the loop on plans, and letting guests know they’ll be personally notified if RSVPs have to be revised, is helpful and considerate.
For situations where a smaller wedding won’t work, some couples are finding other ways to include their loved ones safely and from afar. There are a lot of ways couples can still have the spirit of their guests present while they take their vows solo while still involving those closest to them. Virtual weddings that let guests tune in from home are becoming popular, so are alternatives like drive-up celebrations that let guests see and celebrate with the couple safely but in-person. Get creative! One couple opted to put a photo of each guest in the pew of their church ceremony with over 250 printed 8x10’s in the seats!
How Our Industry is Handling COVID-19
Wedding planners and couples aren’t the only ones trying to figure all of this out. Vendors across our industry are working to keep their businesses afloat while taking care of the people who’ve booked with them. Without weddings happening during our busiest time of year, the small businesses that make up most of our industry are missing out on a full season of payments. It’s a tough pill to swallow.
Most of us are doing what we can to make things easier on couples while trying to move forward as businesses. At MB, we’re letting couples transfer their deposit to a new date in 2020 or 2021 without any fees or penalties, and we’re offering hourly consultations so that we can walk our couples through rescheduling and make sure all of their bases are covered.
Other vendors are also waving transfer fees for deposits and retainers, and some are offering discounts and freebies where possible. These are some of the efforts we’ve been hearing about:
Bridal salons setting up virtual consultations complete with measurement tape and dresses that are sent in the mail, along with free storage and preservation of dresses being held.
Photographers and videographers offering discounted retainers and packages for new clients and helping couples to rework their timelines given their new plans.
Caterers and Bakeries arranging for curbside tastings and even gifting small treats to couples on what would have been their original wedding dates.
Florists reducing deposit amounts, doing virtual consultations, and some doing “community shares” for the seasonal flowers that won’t be used.
Venues providing live virtual tours, offering free add-ons (think bubbly bars and room upgrades) for new bookings, and allowing socially distant elopements.
What’s Ahead?
It’s hard to tell what planning weddings is going to look like in the future. Will the experience of dealing with so much uncertainty make smaller, simpler, and safer (health-wise and financially) more appealing than before? Or will people be so tired of confinement and being socially separate that they’ll want big events, styled to the nines, and chock full of loved ones?
In the words of Maison Meredith, the best thing anyone can do is to “plan in pencil.” These are uncertain times in which we can’t control or know the future of events. Make a Plan A, B, and C. Don’t get dead set on any one aspect of a wedding because things might change, and ultimately, it’s not up to us. Plan in pencil and be ready to pivot as needed!
Have questions about planning during COVID19? Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram to follow along with how MB is going about life, planning, and business during the health crisis.
