Hey all! You’re friendly neighborhood wedding photo + video team here!
We just wanted to touch base with you all about the virus (he who shall not be named) that is affecting the wedding industry and most specifically, couples getting married in the Spring of 2020.
We’ve just been brainstorming some ideas, especially with our spring couples as they navigate this new normal of wedding planning + pandemic.
1. Keeping Your Current Plans
As we are posting this – the CDC has just announced the recommendation for postponing or canceling gatherings of over 50 people for the next 8 weeks. For some of you, this may not be an option, but for others, it’s important to remember to have clear expectations. Those who have RSVP’d ‘yes’ to your wedding may now be a ‘maybe’ or ‘no’. Also, make sure you’re super clear with your guests that if they are feeling ill, stay home!
2. Reschedule the Wedding
If you do plan on rescheduling your wedding just make sure you’re super clear with your vendors, your photographers, your videographers – all the way down the list. Many vendors are trying to help you keep your deposit during this situation. (Though it doesn’t hurt to check your contracts). Please remember your vendors are services more couples than just you. This also might be something to think about if you’re looking at rescheduling into the 2021 year. A lot of different vendors are already booked (including us) with 2021 couples and there may be a lot of elements involved in that process.
3. Elopements
We currently have a couple that we’re working with that had an April wedding that decided to postpone their reception. Instead of completely rescheduling their entire wedding, they’ve decided to do a courthouse wedding. This made the most sense for their priorities and where they are in life right now. They are making sure to work with us so that we can be there.
At the end of the day, our number one priority is to serve our couples. We know this is a huge event in our couples’ lives and its really important that we work together with all of our vendor friends and make this a great experience for our couples no matter what option they decide to go forward with.
4. Weekday Weddings
Another option that we’ve seen some people do is postpone their wedding to a weekday. Because Saturdays in the fall are pretty much booked (we still have some available) some people are trying to do Thursdays Fridays and sometimes Wednesdays. We know this can be a little more inconvenient for your guests but we’re hoping that by the time fall comes around this may be blown over, the dust has settled, and your guests can take a day off of work to attend your wedding. This may relieve the most stress over what’s going on right now.
This is your wedding. It’s up to you both as a couple and future spouses. If that date that you set is super meaningful and important to you – maybe it is time to consider doing a courthouse wedding or elopement and talking to your vendors if they’d work with you on that and what that might look like.
Any option is a good option. At the end of the day, we just want you to be married and happy.
Don’t stress about it. This is a new thing for everyone going through it. We are all trying to help and serve each other. We obviously don’t have all of the answers – we are not medical professionals. We are just trying to look ahead for our couples and think about what the options may look like for them. The options that we’re suggesting now may be completely different next week – but we just wanted to put it out there as what we’ve been seeing and what we think might work for you.
If you’re one of our couples – we are starting to put together options for live-streaming ceremonies. Be sure to reach out – we will continue to be in touch as things progress.
