We have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and we just doing the best we can right now. I’m a wedding photographer and my industry has been turned upside down with cancellations and reschedules. In an effort to help out, I’ve compiled a list of things to do if your wedding is affected by the Coronavirus.

1: Stay Calm

COVID-19 and wedding planning are stressful by themselves, and even more so when you put the two together. It’s always a bummer when things don’t work out the way you expected, but it also opens you up for new opportunities. So it’s time to put on your positive pants and think about how you can turn this into something exciting! Is there anything about your current wedding plans that you wish was different? Did you miss out on the venue you wanted because it was already booked? Was your favorite flower out of season? Did you want to elope but your mother would be furious? Now, anything is possible!

2: Make a Solid Plan B

First you need to decide if you are going to keep your wedding date and elope or if you are going to reschedule all together. The easiest way to decide is to figure out if you want more time to plan your wedding or if you want more freedom for your wedding. Neither one of these options should be a downgrade. Get excited and creative about the new possibilities that this COVID-19 hiccup could mean for your wedding day!

3: Reach Out to Your Vendors

Once you have a plan B designed it’s time to connect with your vendors. The sooner the better because everyone and their mother is rescheduling their weddings right now because of COVID-19 and you want first dibs for any special requests. Be honest with them about your new plan and share with them how that affects their services. If you have a paid them a deposit and are no longer in need of their services, review your contract and request a refund if you can. If not, game plan an event you could potentially use them for. (Ex: If you elope and decide you don’t need a cake to treat 100 people, you can throw a reception party self-isolation is over and use them for that.)

4: Send Updates to Guests

If you tell everyone before the changes are final then you’ll get flooded with opinions and it’ll get all sorts of confusing and overwhelming. Make your decisions with your partner first and inform everyone else second. This doesn’t have to be formal. You can create a Facebook group or send out a mass email and let your invitees know about the changes you’ve made for your wedding due to the Coronavirus. Make this part easy on yourself, you can always send out new save-the-dates once things settle down.

5: Get Creative

I said it once and I’ll say it again: none of your new plans should feel like a downgrade. In fact, you should be totally stoked about them. If you want to keep your date but don’t want your guests to miss your ceremony then host a Zoom meeting so that your friends and family can still attend without risking the spread of COVID-19. If you’re rescheduling then think about ways you can make your wedding more unique. You can incorporate sky lanterns or smoke grenades…the possibilities are endless!

The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone and your vendors are here to help you make any changes necessary. If you need additional help, please reach out to me at chat@heyitszotti.com.

For more tips on thriving during COVID-19 click here!