Today marks two weeks since my family and I have been self-confining in the hopes that it will help flatten the curve during the current global pandemic of COVID-19. During this time, I haven’t felt comfortable sharing much on social media and certainly not on my blog because it’s hard to show up as if everything is ok with the world, but as the impact of the Coronavirus has grown significantly in our area in a short amount of time, more and more couples have been reaching out to me to ask for advice and guidance on postponing their wedding and I’m realizing that couples need the help and support of their wedding vendors now more than ever. I am getting a lot of the same questions, and I’m happy to answer them individually and on a case-by-case basis, but I thought it might be helpful to post them here on my blog so that my answers can be helpful to more couples who are thinking of how the Coronavirus will impact their wedding. Therefore, today I thought I’d share some FAQs as well as some additional resources around the web for couples impacted by COVID-19. But first, I wanted to share a personal update and some general comments on what is going on right now in the wedding industry for those of you who may be curious… or have some extra time on your hands due to the quarantine.
Personal Update
I care deeply about the health of you and your guests. I am taking every precaution I can to keep myself healthy for your wedding day including self-confinement and social distancing and my associate photographers are doing the same. I am not going out to public places and I’m having groceries delivered so I can avoid unnecessary risks. When our groceries are delivered, we are following guidelines for safe grocery shopping (have you seen this video?) and I’m planning to continue being socially responsible by practicing social distancing for as long as the CDC recommends it.
To date, all of our April weddings have been postponed, most of our May weddings have been postponed or are currently in the process of postponing (though a couple are waiting to see what happens in the coming weeks), and a couple of our summer weddings have also been postponed. It is a stressful time for so many of our couples, to say the least, and my heart goes out to every single one of them. Our couples often spend a year or sometimes even two years planning their wedding and they feel blindsided and confused with what to do about their wedding. It’s so heartbreaking and stressful! And while I know that the most important thing right now is to do whatever we can to protect not just our loved ones, but our community at large, it doesn’t make any of this any easier to deal with and I feel so bad for our couples.
As for portrait sessions, all of my April shoots have been postponed, I have closed my newborn studio until further notice, and I am holding off on scheduling other shoots for May and June. Once we reach the peak of the virus, the confirmed cases of Coronavirus begin to subside, and the CDC lifts its current social distancing guidelines, I will reach out to my clients to schedule their pending sessions.
I also have three associate photographers and second photographers who are impacted. I’m checking in with them regularly to make sure they feel supported because I think we really need to stick together during difficult times like these. If I can be a sounding board to anyone, I want to be that person.
Thoughts on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Wedding Industry
The wedding industry is significantly impacted by the Coronavirus, as many industries are. With the ban of large gatherings in our state and the extreme dangers that exist if we do not practice social distancing, wedding vendors are out of work for the foreseeable future. Personally, I have lost all projected income for April and much for May and June already, and will be losing income for dates in 2021 that would have potentially gone to new clients instead of 2020 clients since we can only do a limited number of weddings each year. It’s hard to say the full impact the Coronavirus will have on the wedding industry, and the impact will vary according to the type of vendor, but for photographers I would say that the impact will be felt now with unexpected loss of income, in the coming weeks with more unexpected loss of income and in the coming months with couples who planned on getting married in 2021 but are financially impacted by the virus and are no longer able to afford a wedding so soon after the height of the pandemic.
Another way the wedding industry is impacted is in their marketing. Many can no longer afford the fees associated with traditional marketing (advertising on sites such as Style Me Pretty, WeddingWire, or The Knot), paid marketing (such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads), and many do not feel comfortable continuing their social media marketing efforts during such a challenging time, and so that impacts their ability to book new clients. As I mentioned before, I have found it difficult to post to my own social media channels. Quite frankly, I didn’t want followers to feel that I was being insensitive to what is happening in the world by continuing to post wedding images. However, after conversations with fellow wedding vendors and couples, I decided to join the movement to Stay Positive and #PostThePretty in order to balance the social media narrative and to make sure we are not impacting our 2021 and possibly 2022 bookings. I think most people will understand that it is a confusing time for everyone and we’re all figuring out how to run our businesses during this time. Continuing to promote our businesses as wedding vendors is a way to show that we believe this will all be over soon and that we do not plan on going out of business because of the Coronavirus.
Frequently Asked Questions by Idalia Couples
Below is a list of questions that I have gotten from our own brides and grooms.
Should I postpone my May wedding?
Update on 4/9/20:
I originally wrote this post on 3/27/20 and, at that time, I hesitated to advise our May couples to postpone their weddings. Just two weeks later, I think all May couples should reschedule their weddings. The COVID-19 cases are still climbing (click here for current number of cases in NJ) and, even if the stay home guidelines are lifted by the end of April, large gatherings will likely not be allowed right away due to the risks of a second wave occurring. Of course, I am not an expert, but if I were a May bride, I would absolutely reschedule my wedding. I would also do it before the 2021 dates all fill up, especially if you want a weekend wedding.
Original Text:
I always hesitate to answer this question because, well, I’m not an expert. No one knows when the virus is going to peak and subsequently subside (Here’s a good read on the topic). In the tri-state area, I have read reports that it is supposed to peak sometime in April and then it will begin to subside. But will we get a second wave of the virus? A specific “safe” date to plan for is impossible to determine and we also do not know how long the social distancing measures and bans of large gatherings will last in our state. However, there are a few factors you might want to think about if you are having a May wedding. Do you have a lot of guests traveling? One of my May couples had 2/3 of their guest list inform them they wouldn’t be able to attend their wedding due to the virus and travel bans. If a lot of your guests are traveling, they may not be able to anymore, so it would be wise to postpone your wedding. You may also want to consider the financial impact on your guests. Weddings are expensive, and guests inevitably incur expenses to attend your wedding. Whether that’s for something simple like a new dress or something more expensive like a hotel room or plane ticket (and of course a wedding gift for you), your guests may not even be able to afford to attend your wedding at this point. With so many people out of jobs, even if large gatherings are no longer banned in May, people will be recuperating financially. Personally, I think it’s a good idea for all May couples to set a backup date as soon as possible. It’s a safe move, and considerate for your guests. Not only that, but as more and more couples postpone their weddings, they are scooping up the few dates that remain open at their venues and the longer you wait, the less likely the rest of your vendors will be available to work with you for your wedding day. After months of wedding planning and retainers paid, I would hate to see you start at square one if the wedding date you end up needing to postpone to is unavailable among many of your vendors. That said, it’s a completely personal decision and I have no idea what the future holds, but I do think it would be prudent to have a backup plan in place.
Should I postpone my June or July wedding?
While I have had summer weddings begin to postpone, these were unique situations where there were a lot of guests expected to travel. I do not think it is absolutely necessary to postpone your June or July wedding. However, since we do not know how long the virus will last, I do suggest getting organized by gathering and reviewing your agreements with vendors so that, if things are not improving within the next couple of weeks, you can begin to create a backup plan.
I will say that if you have a large portion of your guest list traveling or you have a lot of elderly guests or guests with underlying conditions, it is wise to postpone or at least have a backup date.
Will I lose my retainer if I postpone my wedding?
I understand the financial burdens couples will inevitably incur due to a wedding postponement. Because of this, I expanded my rescheduling policy to make it more flexible for all of my couples during the pandemic and help ease stress related to this. If couples choose to reschedule because of COVID-19, I have asked them to share with me the alternate dates provided to them by their venue so that we can find a date that is mutually convenient for as many vendors as possible. I have applied their retainer to the rescheduled wedding date and will continue to do so for any weddings rescheduled due to COVID-19 as long as the new wedding date is set to take place before December 31, 2021. This isn’t a decision I took lightly because of the financial impact on my business and on the livelihood of my associate and second photographers, but I felt it was the right thing to do.
If I do postpone, when should I postpone for?
If you had asked me this question just two weeks ago, I probably would have thought June would be safe to postpone to. However, with the numbers changing significantly in a short amount of time, and currently over 92,000 cases (according to the tally by Johns Hopkins University), I think the safest dates would be September and beyond. This way, you run less risk of having to postpone a second time and you also give your guests more time to recuperate financially and figure out travel plans.
Additional Resources for Couples Impacted by COVID-19
If your wedding is affected by COVID-19, here are some resources that you may find helpful!
Should You Consider Postponing Your Wedding Due to COVID-19? by Style Me Pretty
Top Questions Engaged Couples Have About Coronavirus Right Now by Brides.com
How to Postpone Your Wedding Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic by TheKnot.com
A Guide to Postponing Your Wedding by Ruffled Blog
The 12 Best Change the Date Cards to Send If Your Wedding is Postponed on Brides.com
Little Black Book Vendor Availability Fall and Winter 2020 by Style Me Pretty – If you did decide to postpone and one of your vendors is no longer available on the date you have chosen, this is a massive list of availability for Little Black Book Members. It includes florists, wedding planners, hair/makeup artists, photographers, and more.
I hope these resources have been helpful to you during these challenging times!! I also hope that you stay safe and keep your loved ones safe as well. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions I can help with, or feel free to email me at info@idaliaphotography.com. I’m happy to help as best I can!
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