Fires, Floods, and the Flu – Wedding Planning in Uncertain Times
Flood, fire, and the flu may not usually be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to wedding planning. But this year, as weddings and events are postponed and canceled because of the current Covid-19 pandemic, it bears keeping in mind that we live in an uncertain world. I have had clients change their wedding venues and or dates because of floods, mudslides, fires, and now Covid-19. Rescheduling a wedding can be super stressful for everyone involved. So what can you do to assure that you will have a safe and enjoyable celebration with minimal stress? Should you even consider planning a wedding when things seem upside down and overflowing with uncertainty?
Well, weddings are the gathering of friends and family in support of love and community. Reaffirming the connections with the people you love most and strengthening the bonds of your community seems more important than ever. So, yes, keep planning weddings. Celebrate love and focus on what is important in life.
Some easy basic things you can do to feel more confident in your plans:
-Check with your vendors to see about rescheduling policies
-Consider getting wedding insurance (though make sure it would help)
-Come up with a rough backup plan
If the ban on larger gatherings persists, consider having a small gathering out in nature.
Keep in mind that the photographers, djs, wedding planners, florists, makeup artists, and other vendors out there are real people. These are tough times for us too. Most of us run small businesses and already exist with a relatively high degree of uncertainty. Most of the folks I know in the wedding profession, passionately love what they do. I know I do. We want to be reasonable and helpful, and still put food on the table. We are thankful for the support of the loving people we work with. Let’s be supportive and kind to each other. Stay healthy. Keep loving. Get married.
In these uncertain times, having something exciting and joyous to look forward to feels really good.
If you want to check out my general tips for planning an awesome wedding, I wrote an article with lots of great ideas.
I recently had a couple email me regarding their wedding plans. They had this to say, “We hope soon we can all return to a time when you don’t need to think twice about pulling someone in for a full embrace. Or wiping tears from your face after a moving speech. Or taking hold of a friend’s hand to drag them on the dance floor. For now though, we hope you are able to enjoy time with your family, celebrate friendships with virtual happy hours, and feel grounded by the power of nature and community in this time of upheaval and uncertainty.”