How to Plan A Wedding During A Global Pandemic
Something my wife and I like to muse over on occasion is the question ‘If you could go back in time by a year, knowing that a world pandemic is headed our way, what would you do?’. Other than trying to warn the WHO (I imagine I would be widely discredited and laughed at), and trying to become a science wizz to find the vaccine early, I would also warn my couples and get prepared for the strangest year many of us have ever known. Although trying to remain looking on the bright side of things, it’s safe to say that 2020 brought all kinds of challenges to the wedding industry and engaged couples. So, what can you do to get ahead of the game and stay on track with planning your amazing wedding? I’ve got a few top tips to help you out when planning your wedding during lockdown or during a global pandemic in general.
Take your meetings and visits online
As like much of the world at the moment, wedding suppliers and venues have taken to the web to try and replicate the experience you would usually get in person. There are lots of virtual tours and demonstrations out there to help you make up your mind when choosing suppliers. Also don’t be shy to ask for Zoom meetings with each of the people you are considering. It is still important to make sure you are choosing the right people to get involved with your day, even if you love their product or service. I know it will take time, but it will be oh so worth it.
Get ahead of the game
A lot of suppliers, myself included, are finding that their postponed 2020 weddings are spilling into 2021 and 2022, therefore taking lots of key dates that would otherwise be booked by new enquiries. The best thing you can do is act quickly where possible. Who are those suppliers that you really can’t imagine the wedding without? Start there and work through the list to try and book people up early. That way, you can make sure you book suppliers that you love.
Catch up with people you have already booked
It might be the case that you already have a lot of your suppliers in place by this point. It wouldn’t hurt to book in a catch up call, just to see how things are going. If you’ve booked them for a date, nothing should change but it doesn’t hurt to check in to see if there is anything else you need to consider. Coronavirus could have affected aspects of the service they usually offer that you hadn’t thought of.
Do your research
One key thing I encourage couples to do is to meet as many of their suppliers face to face as they can. Obviously, with that out of the question at the moment, using your wedmin time to do that extra bit of research on prospective suppliers can only stand you in good stead. Make sure to look at past testimonies to get a feel for how they operate on a wedding day and if they will slot in with your wedding vibe.
Stay inspired
Pinterest is such a great platform to find inspiration and visualise the plans you are putting in place. Make sure you don’t lose your excitement for your special day! And when you’ve pinned about as many floral bouquets as could ever be useful, jump on a Zoom call with your wedding party or your MOH for so much-needed excitement for the big day.
Keep everyone up to date
If you are considering postponing your wedding, make sure to contact all of your suppliers in advance of any final decisions so you know who will be available and who won’t be. If you have a potential new date, don’t be tempted to rush into finalising it, only to find out that most of your other suppliers other than your venue aren’t free. In addition to that, if your wedding plans are changing (whether it be a whole new date or a smaller change), the most important thing is that your guests are in the loop when needed. If it’s a date change or perhaps a new caterer who has new dietary questions or a new venue with different accessibility procedures- you might need to communicate information with your guests. Having an email group with everyone added or a wedding website up and running could make things easier further down the line and is something practical you can be doing with this time.
Tackle the easy things
So you’ve handled your top 5 suppliers and are waiting on replies? Tackle some of the easy wins that you can cross off the list without too much time investment required. It will make you feel like you’re making headway with the infinite to do list and later down the line, you’ll be glad you got ahead of the game when you had the chance!
I hope this post is helpful. Although it’s a really tough time for a lot of people and there can be lots of disappointment surrounding weddings at the moment, the most important thing is to stay positive and remember why you are doing this. Take things one at a time and as a team and you won’t go far wrong.
If you’re interested in hearing about how I can help photograph your amazing wedding day, then I’d love to hear from you. I have a limited amount of available slots in my calendar for weddings over the next couple of years so don’t hesitate to get in contact with me using the contact form below.