Your Wedding + COVID-19

 

Thinking about postponing your 2020 wedding due to the COVID-19 craziness? Well this blog is for YOU! On this post, we’re going to chat about when it’s time to postpone, how to postpone, and how to keep planning during this pandemic. Ready for this?

But first, a little check in. How are you guys doing out there?  This is such a crazy time for all of us and it’s pretty scary. So many couples are stressing out over venue closures, vendors not responding to them, and even the licensing departments are not open to provide couples a marriage license. So scary! My heart really goes out to you guys for trying to figure all this stuff out. I know what it’s like to plan a wedding with all the details involved, the emotions and stress, too. It takes a lot of energy, so I’m totally 100% here for you all if you have any questions, comments, concerns, want to run things by me, ANYTHING!

This is really a challenging time and I want you all to know that I’m absolutely here for you!

It’s pretty wild to think that if I were to go out and shoot an elopement, if someone were to report the elopement, I would loose my business license. How crazy is that?! I’ve been dying to go out and shoot and explore in the forest, but we all have to stay at home. 🙁

So, as a wedding photographer, I’ve been getting emails and texts and DM’s from my 2020 brides about what to do about rescheduling, postponing, making a Plan B, etc. SO! I’m here to provide some insight on when to reschedule your wedding.

HOLD UP: The very fist thing I recommend for all 2020 brides out there who are thinking about changing their date/ rescheduling, or anything:

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR VENDORS. 

Your vendors can help reschedule your wedding, have any tips and advice, if some of your vendors can’t make it for your new wedding day, then reach out to the ones who can to see if they have any recommendations. We know the in’s and out’s of the wedding industry so chances are very good with finding new vendors if needed.

When to Postpone your Wedding

May Weddings– You should already be rescheduling your wedding day.

June, July, August Weddings– The industry advises to wait till the beginning or middle of May to make the call. But it can’t hurt to reach out to all your vendors, your venue first, to see what other dates could work.

September, October, November, December Weddings- Hold tight till at least June. Chances are the ‘stay home’ order will be lifted this spring, but just in case they still don’t allow large gatherings, we won’t know that information until later. Everything is at a standstill right now, so I suggest waiting till June to make the call.

 

How to Postpone your Wedding Day

It’s absolutely no fun to have to reschedule your wedding day, but everyone who’s apart of your wedding is on your side and is here to help.

So, with that in mind, here are some tips on how to postpone your wedding day:

#1) I know I’m a broken record but, COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR VENDORS. You want to first reach out to your venue, and see what other dates are available.

2) From there, send out an email to your other vendors to see if the new dates you’d like are also available for them as well. Sometimes (like me) vendors have a booked dates calendar on their websites, so be sure to check those out.

3) If most of your vendors are able to move dates, be sure to check to see if they have any rescheduling fees, or deals you can use for changing your date. If some vendors are not able to make it to your new date, check in with your photographer or other vendors for further recommendations.

4) Once everyone is confirmed, let your guests and bridal party know what’s up. You can post on social media, send out new cute “Change the Date” or “Postponed” cards in the mail, anything you want to get the word out. Check out Minted’s cute Postponed cards online here. 

5) Bam! You’ve changed your wedding date! Communication is KEY so be sure to constantly let your vendors and guests know what you’re planning.

 

 

If you’re in the thick of wedding planning, and you’re trying to consider all your options, check out these wedding planning tips for planning during a pandemic:

5 Ways to survive wedding planning during a pandemic.

Thrifting

These days, spending a lot for your wedding sounds really scary. You just never know what the state of the world is going to be like and if we should keep our money in our wallets in case we loose income, or heck, even zombies come around. We just don’t know. However, if you’re wanting to save money, but still want to plan parts of your wedding, consider thrifting and finding some vintage things to decorate your wedding day.

People will also be stuck inside, too, so maybe people are doing some spring cleaning and getting rid of some old wedding decorations to donate. Umm YES! So something to think about. If your wedding dress can’t get done with alterations in time, consider thrifting to find a fun alternative wedding gown.

 

Help Out Small Businesses

This is totally the time to support small businesses. Big box stores are doing juuuuust fine and will survive this wave without any issues. But it’s the small business that are taking a huge hit during this pandemic.

So write reviews, purchase cute things on Etsy, and try not to cancel on vendors you’re working with. Chances are, they are counting on that income and really really want to work with you. So try to postpone your wedding instead of just cancelling. For me, I LOVE all my couples and I want to capture their day for them, so it really bums me out when I hear couples have to cancel instead of postpone. 

 

Consider Changing Venue

To be safe, I’m hearing a lot of couples are changing their venues for their wedding in case the virus is still a huge issue and their venues close their doors. Couples still want to have their wedding day, so they change their wedding venue to a gorgeous field, a rooftop downtown, or a free area that we can walk to. Yes, some state parks are closed, but some just are open without gates, and you can have a nice intimate ceremony.

 

Elopement Style

Eloping is fun and way more simple than a traditional large wedding. I’ve had couples come to me saying they will be changing their day to just their intimate family and a few close friends instead of having all 200 guests. And then having a large reception later in the year. That way, they can still get married!

Having a more intimate elopement and then a larger celebration later can also help spread out some finances. For examples, you can spend money on your ceremony with your gown, flowers, Air BnB’s, etc, and then save up for your reception party later.

Check out Marissa + David’s downtown Seattle Elopement here for some Pioneer Square inspiration! 

 

And Of Course, Grab extra Sanitizer Stations

I would totally grab some sanitizer and maybe a few extra bathrooms (if you have to rent them), so there are more options to wash hands. You can even make cute custom hand sanitizer bottles for your guests as favors. (Check these out!) I recommend asking your venue, if they haven’t closed, if they know vendors who could bring sanitizing stations to have as well.

 

 

 

 

What I’m Seeing as a Wedding Photographer:

So far, my March, April, and May weddings have had to postpone their weddings. Some June weddings are still wanting to have a smaller elopement style wedding on their booked date, and then another ‘wedding day’ on another date in the 2020 or 2021. It’s honestly however you want to set up your wedding day. This pandemic has really changed and is re-shaping the wedding industry and how couples plan their weddings. You never think weddings could be cancelled, they always seem like a sure thing, but you just really never know. This pandemic is tragic and really has changed everything.

I think we’re going to be heading into a new age of wedding planning, photography, and being more creative. What if more couples have an intimate elopement, and then another party later? What if there are more contracts for pandemics that vendors use just in case this happens again? What if couples are too scared to have a huge wedding? There are so many new factors that have all hit us hard and it’s time to really start thinking about it all.

Anyway, I really hope this blog post has helped couples think about what to do with their weddings, how to postpone their wedding, and encourage you to not stress out over having to postpone. It’s all just temporary and we’re all in this together.

If you guys have any questions about ANYTHING, please reach out and I’d love to chat!

Stay healthy out there and stay safe!

Cheers!