Updated: 8/3/2020

Let me start by saying we hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. I’m sorry you have to read a post with the words ‘pandemic’ and ‘wedding’ in the same sentence, let alone write it. As much as Mo and I are willing to strap on hazmat suits if it means we could stick to your original wedding date, we believe that the most important thing right now is to listen to the health professional’s guidance.

If rescheduling your wedding is necessary, as difficult as it is to think about, we are going to do whatever we can to make this a seamless transition for you and your families.

Over the past few months, we’ve been gaining experience in how to deal with rescheduling events. We don’t want to cause any unnecessary anxiety, but with so much uncertainty from day to day and week to week, we believe that the more communication we have, the better. If you are one of our clients, please read through everything and always know that we are a call/zoom/email away from helping if you have any questions or concerns.

Even though this is a serious post I wanted to keep things lighter by including a few images that we’ve taken over the past month. Starting with this handsome dog below:)

Updates

How are we doing?

Mo and I are healthy and haven’t had any difficulties other than her undertaking to get me to watch 90 Day Fiance (succeeding about half the time 🙂 In the spring we celebrated Yeti’s fifth birthday, so that gave us an excuse to make a cake, (for us) and some doggy cookies (for him:) It also gave me a chance to do some video editing, you can view Yeti’s Birthday video HERE.

What we are seeing

Just to give you an idea of what things look like for us, as of 8/2/2020: we have had our first ‘full’ weddings again since early March and they went great! There is definitely a bit of adjustment but in the end, it still felt like a normal wedding and everyone had a great time. We are looking at mostly smaller mini-weddings through August into September. We are seeing our fall weddings seriously look at rescheduling for next year, and at this time I seriously doubt we will have any full weddings this fall.

UPDATE: For all postponements after Aug. 7th, 2020 –  mini-weddings will be billed separately for hourly coverage and treated as a new session.

Plan to Reopen PA

Pennsylvania as well as most cities and states, has released a 3-phase plan for reopening.  I have linked the plan to reopen PA HERE outlining the full plan for reopening and the requirements PA must meet before moving on to the next phase. 

The red and yellow phases both prohibit large gatherings and even in the yellow phase, there is a ban on gatherings over 25 people. The venues that we have worked at have been able to split the guest up into smaller groups and spread them out into different rooms or a combination of outside and inside. So we have seen that there are ways of having weddings despite the restrictions.

Our Reschedule Policy

We love our couples and will bend over backward to make them happy. With that in mind, we have a very generous rescheduling policy if we do have to postpone your wedding because your venue is not legally allowed to be open. Here is the low down:

• We do NOT charge any fees to reschedule your date.
• Any amounts already paid are applied to the new date.
• If we can’t find a mutually available date, deposits are non-refundable. (We normally will ask the venue for a selection of free dates and then narrow things down from there. Hold off on finalizing a new date before communicating with your vendors, including us. This way there is no cancellation and lost deposits.)
• Once we find a new date we will sign an addendum to your contract updating to the new date.
• We reserve the right to split your final payment between the original date and 7 days before the new wedding date. 
  • Ex: If $2,000 was owed by your original date on August 17, 2020, and you rescheduled to June 24th, 2021 (Mo’s Birthday:) we would split that payment so that $1,000 would be due on 8/17/2020 and the remaining balance would be due 7 days before your new wedding date of 6/24/2021.
• All rescheduled weddings must take place before the end of 2021 or your contract will be considered canceled by you and the retainer forfeited.
• To help from postponing your wedding too early, we ask that you wait until 3 months before your wedding to make the final decision to reschedule your wedding date. Please reach out to us anytime to discuss your options, however.

Reschedule options

Below are a few possibilities that we have seen when it comes to rescheduling a wedding during Covid-19:

Plan A – Wedding 1.0 – Wedding 2.0

If you already have your marriage license and/or still want to have a small ceremony on your original date we are totally up for that, provided that it’s outside and safe to do so, etc. We’ve started calling this Wedding 1.0. If you would like coverage for a mini-wedding please contact us about pricing as we usually charge hourly for smaller events.

Stream your wedding –  If you are having a small ceremony it might be the perfect time to take advantage of modern technology and live stream your wedding over zoom/Facebook etc. We can also film the ceremony and include this footage on your future reception date or have a viewing party with friends and family in the future.

Plan B – Pick a backup date then wait and see

For fall weddings, it’s a bit early to commit to rescheduling. Having a plan b can give you some control and peace of mind. Normally we do not hold dates, however, in these exceptional times, we are willing to do so for our current couples. Getting in touch with your vendors and finding alternate dates in the future allows you to take action now and sort out the logistics if you do have to reschedule. Keep that communication open!

Plan C – Delay the wedding to a new date 

In speaking with a couple about rescheduling they said they wanted to preserve the ‘full joy’ of their wedding by moving their ceremony & reception to a future date. This is primarily what we are observing with our couples. We are willing to move dates into 2021 but, again, you will need to check with your other wedding vendors to find their availability.

Sooner vs. Later?

Should you pick a date sooner – or should you pick a date further out into next year? Here are my thoughts to help you see the pros and cons of each.

Sooner

The nice thing about choosing a date that is sooner is that you can complete your wedding dreams and start your life together. You also get to put all the wedding planning behind you as well:)

However, there is still so much ambiguity in the next few months which could make this a more stressful option. Make sure you are staying on top of your vendors and the current status of business shutdowns etc. Also if you pick a new wedding day that is TOO soon, there is the chance that you might have to reschedule all over again if your venue is not able to open yet.

Later

The benefit of choosing a distant wedding date is peace of mind that the world will come back to normal (more or less) as time goes on. This also means that you can stop worrying about planning/rescheduling your wedding for the moment. Hopefully by going with a date further out you will only have to reschedule once and all of the back and forth communication between vendors can be minimized. 

Shifting your wedding back another year can feel like you’re putting your life on pause, however. We know this will feel super disappointing but remember the reason for the celebration remains the same. 🙂 And that’s the most important thing!

The decision of sooner vs later is up to each couple and their personalities and inclinations. We will work with everyone to find the right date for each situation. We got you. 

Tools

Google forms

One useful tool that I was introduced to by one of our brides is google forms. You can create a survey that has possible wedding dates and email this to all of your vendors to help you settle on mutually available dates. HERE is a link to a sample one that I created. Just email me and I can give you access which will allow you to copy my sample form which you can modify for your purposes.

The first step would be to talk to your venue and to get a list of available dates. Then you can add those dates to google forms and send them out to your other vendors. Once you hear back you will be able to use the responses to narrow down and ultimately select a new date. 

I recommend that you make the google form collect email addresses and include a line for business names so that you will be able to tell each response apart from one another and will know who hasn’t responded.

Change the date Cards

Once all the schedule wrangling is over and you finally have a new date you will need to let all of your guests know about the change. We have already received a card in the mail from one of our couples, thx Marie + Vanessa:) We have a partnership with Basic Invite which means you can get a discount on your first order. You can view our post about Basic Invite and get the 20% off coupon there.

Takeaways:

Communicate with your vendors

We are here to help you get through this. Keep us informed and ask any questions you have. Hold off on finalizing a new date before communicating with your vendors, including us. This way there is no cancellation and lost deposits. Remember we’re creative people, we’ve got your back!

Don’t panic, don’t lose hope

Remember, while these momentous days are important, let’s not forget the health of you, your fiance, and your families. Everyone is here for you and can’t wait to celebrate the life you’re going to pursue!

We’re here for you

Please let us know how you are holding up, both physically and emotionally – this is a big load for all of us to carry. Even though your wedding may happen on a different date, or look a little different than you originally planned, we are committed to being there when it does, and that day will be awesome:)

Q & A

My wedding is in the fall should I postpone?

My honest answer is, unfortunately, yes. Things haven’t gotten any more certain over the past 6 months and they aren’t going to get any certain for the fall. But it’s time to have that conversation with your vendors and come up with a plan. We recommend considering reducing your guest list and talking with your vendors to see what can be done to protect you and your guests during your event.

How can we protect our guests?

Other than postponing your event, reducing your guest list is the next biggest way you can protect those attending. 

Tell guests that may be feeling sick or displaying any possible symptoms, elderly family members, guests with pre-existing conditions or compromised immune systems, or anyone traveling from out of state to STAY HOME. 

Consider only inviting your closest family and friends, and live stream for those who can’t attend. (or hire a super talented photographer/videographer to capture your wedding and have a viewing party once all this is said and done!) Be sure to communicate with your guests (and vendors!) and let them know of any decisions you make for your event. Everyone will be understanding of your wishes.