Having a wedding during Covid-19
Let me preface this by saying that I’m not a doctor, nor a government official and the information I have is likely the same as yours, which seems to change daily.
This has advice from a wedding professional to those of you having a wedding during Covid-19, this could update at any time.
Originally posted on 4/20/20, a sacred Colorado holiday.
We’ll start with what we’ve been told (for Denver residents)…
So as it stands social distancing is still in place but we’re now shifting from “stay at home” to “safer at home” policies. Polis announced that some service providers as well as some retail can work again at the start of May. This specifically included tattoo artists & hair salons which leads me to believe that as service providers small photo shoots (10 people or less with the ability to distance) will be allowed to resume.
Restaurants and bars are hopeful for mid-May, which is a positive sign for caterers and bar staff. Places like Eagle county are pushing for earlier.
There was no mention of larger events being allowed any time soon. It could be June, it could be September, there’s no way of knowing. Even some of the smaller events are on hold. For example, there are no elopements allowed in RMNP until May 31st and Sapphire Point is closed to small events until further notice. On top of that I’ve been told (unconfirmed) that AirBnBs are closed until June 1st.
So what does that mean. Essentially it means if you’re having a wedding during the summer of Covid-19 (in Colorado or anywhere really) have a backup plan!
This likely includes a date change or a downsize. Here’s some steps to begin tackling that:
Step 1: DON’T PANIC
Don’t get sucked down a black hole of “oh shit”, try to look forward and form a plan. Most of us are in the thick of it with you and understand the sheer craziness going on.
Step 2: Contact Your Vendors
Start with planner and venue as they’ll have the most information (especially on dates) and ask them about their policies and future open dates, then work your way down your vendor list. You may not have to change anything but it’s good to know what your options are!
Knowing what the policies of your vendors are like if there’s a date change fee, if there’s restrictions on dates for 2021, ect will be invaluable if you have to use it. We won’t be surprised by an email wanting to talk about options so no need to worry when you press send.
Offbeat Bride has some fantastic announcements should you need to use them:
STEP 3: Set a Date for Making a Decision
It’s good to set a cut off date for making the call, that way every week you’re not freaking out wondering what to do. Generally if you have a lot of guests that have to travel you may want to make the cut off date sooner so you can inform people and give them plenty of time to replan.
Here are the stats about what’s currently going on with couples:
Currently 42% of couples are holding their current date strong
26% are postponing their wedding (mostly those from April & May) to later in 2020
26.5% are postponing to 2021
and 5.5% are cancelling
I know this isn’t the wedding process you envisioned, this isn’t the year any of us expected. But if you need advice or an ear, please feel free to reach out. If you’re one of my clients and want to talk to me about my specific dates and policies my door is certainly open at all times. Hopefully “having a wedding during Covid-19” won’t have to be uttered again in the near future.
Until then…