The news of Coronavirus developing in to a world-wide pandemic has affected just about every business and especially those that are in the service industry such as photographers, DJ's, stylists, wedding planners, venues and churches to name but a few. Covid-19 not only has the potential to affect the health of every person on the planet but also affects our economy in ways that until now we have never seen before.

With the government locking down our movements and enforcing social distancing the level of stress that business are facing is huge, but it's not just the businesses that are affected by this pandemic. As a couple getting married in 2020 I'm sure your stress levels are also off the scale, leaving you with many questions about the uncertainty ahead.

  • Will you be able to postpone your wedding?
  • Will you be able to rebook the same venue?
  • Will all my suppliers be available?
  • Does my insurance cover my losses?

The list goes on and with it brings more confusion and more stress. So, it's time to take a deep breath, get out those organisational skills and start planning... again!

Update: 10th May 2020 - With the governments latest announcements it appears that weddings are going to be affected for a much longer period, and most weddings or at least those with a large number of guests will be put back until quite late in to the year or even next year. My advice is that you need to speak with ALL your vendors to make sure you secure any alternative dates as soon as possible. I am sure there will be a shortage of vendors available due to the demand for 2021.

Here's my little guide with 5 tips for weddings affected by Coronavirus!

1) Talk to your venue

The first thing you should do is speak with your venue, they will be able to deal with cancellations and postponements. If you have planned a church or registry office wedding followed by the reception at a local hall or club you will need to arrange the two venues which could be tricky to coordinate, remember the caterers too as you won't want hungry wedding guests. If you have planned your wedding at a hotel you might have everything at the same place so all you will need to do is secure your date and then contact the registrar. You should act fast to secure the best possible alternative dates.

2) Talk to your suppliers

Time to dig out all the contact information for your suppliers and prioritise them in order of who is likely to be affected by availability for your new wedding date. All suppliers are equal to what your ideal wedding day will look like but your photographer, make-up artist, entertainment and florist should be somewhere near the top of the list. All your suppliers will do their very best to make sure they will be there for you so it's important to keep everyone in the conversational loop.

3) Talk to your guests

Once you have your new date secured, it would be a good idea to inform all your guests of the new details. Setting up a Facebook page or WhatsApp group for your wedding can be a great way to communicate online and get your new date out to everyone, you could even create a group video call on Zoom and host a virtual new wedding date party!

You might have guests flying in from overseas or traveling long distances cross country and they will need time to organise their travel and accommodation arrangements. They will be really appreciative of the early notice of your new date so keep them informed and don't assume everyone will make it.

You might find that there are still some restrictions in place during your new date and vulnerable guests might not be able to attend, if this is the case try and look in to ways they can virtually attend your big day.

4) Think about seasonal changes

Some couples have been fortunate enough to secure dates for around the same time in 2021, but the chances are your new date will not be at the same time of year as your original wedding date. Some of my weddings have been postponed to late September 2020 in the hope that things will be back to normal by then, I am hoping this is the case too. You might be planning to have a specific theme for your wedding that ties in with the time of year, maybe you have yellows, blues and reds in the spring and summer months or browns, greens and pinks in the autumn? Whatever your colour scheme some elements like flowers are seasonal so you might need to check with your florist to make sure you can get the theme you want for the new time of year. Also remember to tell the cake and table decorators the new colour changes.

5) What about the honeymoon?

Jet setting off to an exotic location in the sun might be one of your highlights as newly weds. But with the Coronavirus still looming, you may also need to think twice about your honeymoon plans. Check your insurance early to make sure you don't loose any money. I have a hunch that more and more people will want to book holidays in the UK in the short term, so, instead of the luxury cruise or island hoping around the Caribbean you might want to look for adventure here in the UK, or postpone your honeymoon for a year, save a few extra pounds and then have the trip of your lives.

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Conclusion

The general advice from this post is all about communication, it's key to start talking to everyone involved in your wedding and doing it as early as possible, as this will ensure you get the wedding you want. Getting a head start on your new wedding plans will leave you free to concentrate on the big day ahead knowing that you have everything sorted for when the lock down is finally lifted and we can go about our lives in the normal way.

Are you worried about booking your wedding during the pandemic?

If your wedding has to be cancelled or postponed due to coronavirus (Covid-19) which I understand is no fault of your own then I guarantee that your deposit will be 100% fully refunded.