7 Things You Need To Be Doing While Planning Your Wedding in the Midst of the Coronavirus Hysteria
Should I cancel or postpone my wedding due to Coronavirus? How can we calmly plan and get excited about our day when there is so much uncertainty? Will my wedding insurance cover the cancellation due to a national lockdown? With so much changing daily it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen in a month or two. Within a week, you’re going from bliss and excitement to stress beyond belief. Destination brides ad well as local Irish ones are facing a logistical nightmare with flights cancelled, venues shut, vendors unavailable to reschedule and so on. Worrying about elderly and families seems to be our daily bread now, so I’ll try to bring some perspective into your wedding planning life - not only during a pandemic but also during any uncertain time or national emergency.
If you are getting married in the imminent future you probably had to reschedule your wedding. And that’s OK!
It’s better for your mental health, the health and well being of your loved ones and the greater good. Wedding vendors (myself included) will be more than happy to provide new dates, honour the booking fee and transfer it over to the new date.
Think about all the reasons why you want to get married.
Think about your partner and all your family and friends, have a cry if needed. They all support you and love you and can’t wait to celebrate together. What matters most is that you have each other. Be it a changed date or not, I assure you everyone is looking forward to seeing you on that special day. At the end of the day, all it matters is to get married, that’s the end goal!
Speak with your vendors
Have an honest, transparent conversation about your worries and fears. Even if you’re getting married in a few months ask them about contract policies, availability, delays on fabric and dresses, ability to deliver fresh flowers. Consider discussing backup plans and moving your date to mid-week wedding.
Look into purchasing wedding insurance.
It’s worth having one not only for pandemic reasons but truly for the sake of it and your peace of mind. Spending thousands of pounds and months of planning feels way safer when you have that extra cushion. You might not be able to get one at the minute due to demand, but keep an eye on the companies and get one as soon as it becomes available. Speak with the company and ask what’s exactly covered under the policy. Peace of mind has a price worth paying!
5. Grab a bargain
If you’re just starting to plan your wedding now you’re more likely to get a deal. Planning early means vendors will likely give you a discount as their cash flow is compromised. Look for gift cards from beauty parlours, makeup artists, hairdressers, discounts online on jewellery, shoes, dress shops, photographers, videographers etc. You can grab yourself a deal and help small business stay afloat.
6. Consider Eloping or plan for a smaller guest count
Don’t be afraid to move your wedding into a mid-week! Whoever is likely to drop out will do so anyway and you will get better flexibility around your date. It’s important to be aware of your guest’s travel plans and understand some of them may drop due to the fear of flying. Stay flexible with numbers and consider a live stream for those who aren’t coming. With today's technology, it's quite easy to organise one on social media or private sharing apps (like Zoom for example).
7. Remain calm & practice self-care
Acknowledge all your feelings and things that stress you about this situation. You have spent tireless hours planning and looking forward to it, you might experience frustration, anger, sadness and disappointment. The situation is out of your control, we’re all hoping to put an end to it soon. Don’t beat yourself up or feel guilty, a majority of brides planning their weddings now feel the same. Take a few days off to mourn the loss of your wedding and then focus on what lies ahead. You have so much to look forward to!
