How to stay pumped for your wedding during COVID times!
Alright friends. If you’re one of my clients, you’ve already gotten all this info over a week ago.
But this is something that’s affecting wedding planning for SO many people, and so I wanted it to be a public resource for whoever needs it. Over the last week or so as the severity of COVID-19 took over our freaking lives, I have also felt the emotional rollercoaster. This is heavy, and it’s heavy for just about everyone. I’ve honored those feelings, and also welcome them as I know they will inevitably make their way back around.
But as for now?
I am committed to believing that this is going to be okay. Yes, social distance and support local businesses while you can!!! Do everything you can to fight this. But I firmly believe that for your mental state, we have got to learn how to think and pivot all of this positively. Trust me, I’m an enneagram 4 so none of the whole “just be positive” stuff ever came naturally to me, but I’ve realized now that it’s so important to practice and get better at.
So, my dear dear friends whose weddings are being affected by this: we are going to make this the best day of your life still.
Like 100%. I promise. You’ve got options. They’re GOOD options. And we’re gonna make sure this is still the party and celebration you deserve. So without further ado, here are a few ways to stay pumped for your wedding:
If you have to postpone your wedding
A) Rescheduling to another date
First of all, be sure to stay up to date with the CDC. At this point in time, it can be difficult to assess the future of this virus. My suggestion would be to give yourself a date where you need to make a decision about postponing – likely about 6 weeks out from your date. If your wedding is in May-July, stay optimistic. We just may make it! But consider arranging back up plans and dates now with your team of vendors, just so you can be prepared and excited for your new plan if it comes to that.
Go over your contracts with vendors and start talking to them about finding a new date. Most of them have a non-refundable retainer, so for your sake you’ll want to try to find a date that works for both you and them! Keep in mind that having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday will STILL be sooo much fun, and you’re much more likely to be able to keep all your vendors on board! It may be a different date than you expected, but TRUST me the party will still be bangin’, especially since people will want to celebrate you even bigger after making it through all this. Plus, finding a date that works for your vendor team can really help them out during this time. If you are able to find a date within 2020 or early 2021, that would help them with their cash flow and livelihood greatly.
B) Consider having a tiny wedding or elopement in the meantime
Two weddings?? TWICE the fun! (One of my brides is doing this and is stoked to wear her dress twice, too!). If you’ve ever kinda sorta dreamed about having that intimate ceremony in the mountains somewhere, you can still do that and have your big wedding/reception later! Personally I am offering big discounts for people who do this, and I’m sure other vendors are too. We want to help you and make this as special as your original plan would have been <3
D) Have an epic 5-year vow renewal
Going off the idea that you are just too whooped from all of this big wedding stress to reschedule, consider having that small wedding or elopement and plan on the biggest, baddest, vow-renewal celebration of all time.
C) Elope and then ask for “photo credit”
I can only speak for myself, but if my clients decide rescheduling a big wedding is too exhausting after all this, I will credit them in every way possible. Elopement coverage, plus a boudoir session, plus an anniversary session to use a year later, and extra couple’s session, you name it. If you paid for the “8 hours of wedding coverage” you bet I’m gonna make sure you get that value in every way possible.
E) Take a beat
In case no one’s reminded you today, take a deep breath right now.
You’ve been through a lot. I encourage you to take some time to connect with your partner and meditate on what is important to you both. Above all, take time to breathe and reflect and stay flexible during this unexpected thing called life.
What are the logistics of postponing?
You’ve likely already sent out “Save the Dates” – so how do you go about all this communication?
Reschedule with vendors
Get a new date on the books with your vendors. Stay open to weekdays, Sundays and Fridays. This helps both you AND your vendors – we can beat all of this by supporting one another!
Send out “We Changed the Date!”s
Send out an email to your guests with the new date – which they may already be anticipating. Ensure them that the dancing, eating, drinking and celebrating will still be happening, and you can’t wait to do it all properly!
Stay up to date
Like I mentioned before, stay up to date on all things CDC. Take this time to inform people that staying inside will help us all get to your new wedding date as planned! 😉 And order curbside pick up from your favorite local restaurants to celebrate effectively reschedule a WEDDING. You are a hero. Treat yo’self.
Get excited!!
It’s still happening, yo! At this point, allow yourself to be just as excited for your new date as you were for the first one. It’s your wedding day. It was a little messier getting here than you thought, but mama we made it! Snuggle up to bae extra tight, and rest easy knowing you get to finally make this shindig happen.
If you are planning a wedding AND suffering financially right now…
Please, please vocalize your needs. Your vendors want to take care of you in any way possible. We care deeply for your well being above all else. I cannot speak for everyone, but I personally am taking action by 1) allowing people to break their payments into extensive payment-plans, even if they are already under contract for my existing “two payments” that I usually require. If you need to break it down to paying $5 a day, we can. No additional fees. Whatever feels safest to you right now. 2) Heavily discounting my elopement coverage so that you don’t end up paying for a plethora of extra services you weren’t counting on, and 3) Lowering my retainer fee to a flat $1000 for new clients, as opposed to my usual “50% retainer” in order to get them on the books with a lower cost of entry while everyone is rescheduling and snagging lots of dates.
Again, this is only speaking for myself. But if you are booked with other vendors, I urge you to ask about options such as these. I’m sure many of them would be happy to serve you in any way right now.
If you have a steady job and are looking for ways to support small businesses
A few shameless ideas on how you can support your vendors, local businesses, and the economy as a whole.
Continue to support and share on social media
It always feels very trite of me to tell people they can support me this way. But the truth is, it helps so much. If you share something of ours on your IG story – it’s free marketing. If you comment on a post – it boosts our post to new eyes. If you invite your friends list on FB to like our page, we get dozens of new people to know about our services.
Buy gift cards or put a deposit on a session with a service provider
Cash flow at all, will help people get through this time. Had to cancel your hair appointment? Ask your hairdresser if you can still pay for it now and reschedule later. Miss perusing that local boutique across the way? See if they’re selling gift cards online. Book a family session with your fave photographer and get it on the books later. Anything helps, and small businesses are pivoting and staying SO creative so that you can support them!
Leave a review
Reviews simply lead to sales! Give an beautiful review to your favorite restaurant, vendor, whoever – and it will help launch them into new business when this all settles! This post walks you through crafting the perfect review!
Overall, postpone don’t cancel, if possible
It’s such a crazy time for everybody, but if it is at all possible, try to postpone services rather than canceling. It goes back to the point of just helping business keep cash flow so that they can stay afloat and still serve you because they are still in business. That’s not meant to guilt trip you – we understand how complicated this is and how everyone is being affected. But if it’s possible, it’s so appreciated <3
All that being said…
Please remember to take care of yourself. Your mind, body, and heart during this time all need some extra love.
None of us are accustomed to what is going on. But I believe without a doubt that the good will overcome the bad. That acts of kindness will abound. That we will work together as a human community to get past this. And please reach out if you need more resources, insight, or just someone to talk to about all this.
For some of my personal favorite ways that I’ve been coping and working through this strange time, check out my favorite actions for self care that I wrote with you in mind <3
Peace, love, and 6 feet of distance to you all.
Hover over this image to Pin this blog to your wedding planning board! ??
BONUS: I’m sharing my 5 secret wedding industry tips for saving big $ on your wedding photography. Click here to get them straight to your inbox!!!
Leave a Reply
