COVID 19 and Your Wedding, Planning a Wedding in the World Today
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Your wedding may be next week or in October of this year. And, right now, we have no reason to believe your wedding won’t happen as you’ve have been planning. But we hope that you will consider putting some thought into a “Plan B” so, if needed, you can execute with limited stress during the final ramp up to the wedding.
The only major concern that we have would be if the states reduce the number of guests allowed at an event. Currently, the states of Washington, Oregon, Colorado and many other states have all issued moratoriums on events over 250 guests. It is easy to assume other states will follow the same path. In even more extreme situations, the mayor of Santa Clara County, has now issued a moratorium on events over 35 people. This naturally, would affect many weddings. We hope that by 3rd quarter of this year this will slow down. But, just in case it is a good idea to have a backup plan.
Consider doing the following:
Please keep an eye on the news in your area and watch for more of these restrictions as they will affect you.
If you haven’t already, I would recommend adding a column to your spreadsheet with both the phone numbers and email addresses of your guests, so you can reach them quickly if needed.
This may sound harsh, but my hope is, given the current crisis people will understand, divide your guest list down into “must be in attendance,” “should be in attendance,” “okay to proceed without.” Naturally, this information is kept very private as to not hurt any feelings. It should be for your eyes only.
If you haven’t already, I would recommend adding something such as the below paragraph to your website:
“COVID 19 Update: We are still planning on going with our plans to be happily married on ______. Naturally, this is subject to change as lawmakers and healthcare professionals obtain more information on the virus that is plaguing our country. Please watch the website for updates. In addition, we are very excited to share our special day with you, however, if you are not feeling well please don’t risk it. Celebrate with us from afar and we promise to connect with you when this situation calms down.” If you need to cancel your “yes” RSVP, please call us at ______ or email us at _____ any time so we can let our catering company know”
Lastly, look at your final count and guarantee policies with your venue and caterer. Reach out to them and discuss a strategy for handling last RSVP cancellations or additions. I have a feeling many guests may wait until the last minute to determine if they will travel or attend. I have faith in my fellow industry partners, and I do believe they will help you navigate these waters, so talk to them, don’t be elusive, be open and honest.
And as always, let me know how we can help you. Stay healthy.
Xoxo,
Carrie