March 13, 2020

Tops tips on how to plan, postpone or cancel your wedding because of coronavirus/covid-19

It's all getting a bit much right?! You can't travel here, you must wash your hands, masks work, masks don't work. But what happens if Coronavirus or Covid-19 is potentially ruining the happiest day of your life, your wedding day. Do you think you need to cancel your wedding because of Coronavirus?

Here are Occasion Queen's top tips on what to do and how to muddle through over the coming weeks if your wedding is at risk due to Coronavirus.

Planning to carry on

Good for you! Firstly, speak to your venue and find out what precautions they are putting in place. Many venues are putting ant bacterial gel around the venue, ensuring staff have not been away recently and deep cleaning more regularly.

Secondly, check with your guests that they are still planning to attend, giving them reassurance of what you and your venue's plans are to keep it a safe but fun environment for all! Cute anti-bacterial gels as favours are definitely in now!!! (If you can get your hands on any!) However, you may find that your guest numbers drop due to travel restrictions or elderly family not feeling comfortable going to large gatherings at the moment. Work with your venue/caterer on your minimum numbers to make sure the financial cost is minimal to you if your numbers reduce.

However, they don't have to miss out! Why not set them up with a live streaming video of your big day. You can easily get someone with an iPad to set it up discreetly at the back of the room or hire in a company to do it professionally. Either way, they will still get to see you walk down the aisle!

Don't forget the things that you have ordered! Look at what deliveries you are expecting. Have they been made in China? If so, will they still arrive before your big day? Manufacturing in many places has slowed or halted so it is a good idea to ensure that all your suppliers have everything in stock that they need to complete the order and deliver on time.

Keep in regular contact with your suppliers. They aren't immune! Make sure that leading up to the day they are still well and healthy and check with them what provisions they have in place in the case, God forbid, they did get poorly.

If you feel that carrying on is still the answer for you but maybe not so much of the large gathering you once thought, speak to your church, registrars, synagogue, mosque - wherever your ceremony was going to be - and see if you can still do the ceremony in a small and intimate way and then have a big party later in the year! That way you still get to marry the partner you always dreamed of, become a wife or husband and celebrate in a massive way later down the line when all of this chaos has calmed down.

Postponing may be the answer

Do you need to cancel? Could you work with your venue and suppliers to postpone to later in the year? Remember everyone is in the same boat, we are all learning how this virus is affecting us every day and your suppliers want you to have the wedding you always dreamed of.

We will work with you to make this happens as much as possible. So, drop them an email, give them a call and talk through all the best options available if you feel that this may be the best scenario for you. You may find that your summer wedding turns to a winter wedding or your Saturday wedding turns to a Thursday wedding but by working with your suppliers, that can be just as magical - if not more.

As well as your suppliers, remember the marriage part! If you are having a civil ceremony with registrars from the local council, make sure you speak to them. If the new date means that it will be over a year since you gave notice, you will have to do it again (as well as making sure they are available!)

Cancelling is it

If cancelling is literally all you can do, go back through all your contracts you have with all your suppliers. Look at the cancellation policies they have in place and what the financial cost is to you if you cancel the wedding.

If you have wedding insurance then give them a call. It is highly likely that your insurance will not cover you cancelling unless you are ill yourself and have validation from a doctor but knowing where you stand will help you to make an educated decision.

Have open and honest conversations with your suppliers, we are all in this together and we do truly care about your wedding day. We understand and appreciate more than most the impact that this can have on you, not just financially, but also mentally - you have been putting your heart into this for a very long time.

We hope this helps give a bit more direction to what is a really confusing time and quite stressful time. Just remember this is all very temporary!

If you want anymore support, just drop us an email letschat@occasionqueens.com or give Nina a call 07742037575. We know how much your wedding means to you and want to help you as much as possible.