Developing a COVID-19 Emergency PlanWhat should be some of the happiest of times for you have very likely turned pretty stressful as a Bride planning for a wedding in the middle of this unpredctable pandemic we call, Corona Virus. While the stress you are feeling is aboslutely merited, I am here today to help you navigate through that stress a little easier and create a plan.
Now, let's get down to business. If you are currently planning a wedding for April-July of 2020, these next steps are for you! I know that four months is quite the span of time to consider, but know that this emergency plan is a backup and while I pray that none of you have to resort to a backup plan, this will simply make things less stressful if you do. Nonetheless, I have compiled a 3 step process for building a COVID-19 Emergency Wedding Plan. Step 1: Determine Your Plan BWhile it can be really hard to see past the plans you already have in place, considering the circumstances, it is important that you start thinking about your Plan B. Remember that you have options. 1.) Would you want to postpone everything to a later date? -If so, reach out to your Venue and ask if they are willing to change the date for you, what dates they have available, and if they would put a temporary hold on your Plan B date until a designated time. It is important that if your Plan B is postponement that you go ahead and select an official date for your backup. 2.) Would you want to have a small and intimate ceremony with a bigger reception once the pandemic passes? -If so, determine what vendors you would want at each event and make a list. Also determine where you would like your reception to be hosted and what venue options may be available. Go ahead and select a reception date so that you will be able to talk to vendors about their availability when the time comes. 3.) Would you want to cancel? -If so, review your wedding vendor contracts. Understand that due to the circumstances not all vendors will be in a position that they are able to provide refunds, whereas they may be able to work with you on rescheduling. Before you give up on your dream day, really weigh out all your options. *Insider tip: Don't be afraid of a non-traditional day of the week. Friday and Sunday weddings have been becoming more popular even before Corona Virus, and they will most definitely be viable choices for Plan B options. Step 2: Set a DeadlineLiving in limbo can be an incredibly frustrating and disheartnening thing. That's why I recommend that in building your COVID-19 Emergency Wedding Plan that you don't give yourself the option to be in limbo -- you're either moving forward with Plan A or your moving forward with Plan B. Let me explain... In step 1, I told you you should determine what your Plan B would be. All the while, you should still be treating Plan B as exactly that. You should work under the assumption that Plan A is a go until "D-Day" which for our purposes stands for Deadline Day. Create a deadline for the last possible day that you would feel comfortable switching from Plan A to Plan B and make that your deadline. For some that may be 3 weeks out, while for others that might be 6. You continue working under the as assumption that Plan A is a go (knowing that you have a Plan B in place) until D-Day and at that time you make the decision on if the Pandemic climate requires you change from Plan A to Plan B officially. I know you are going to have family and friends eager to be your wedding guests reaching out to you wanting to know if the wedding is still on. Having a deadline means you can say "Yes! We are still planning to have our wedidng as previously planned for, and we won't make any decisions on changing that officially until *insert deadline here*." Not only is this going to keep you from feeling like you are in limbo, but it also suggests to your guests that you have a plan, and you're less likely to get bombarded with other people's input and opinions when you present an organized front. After all, no matter the day, it will still be YOUR day and we want you to be the architect. Step 3: Talk to Your VendorsOnce you have determined your Plan B and you have a deadline in place, reach out to your vendors. It is super important that you communicate with those you have signed contracts with and keep them up-to-date. I am confident that your vendors want to do everything they can to make this time as stress-free as possible, but they can only do that if you keep them in the loop. Even so, I recommend waiting to reach out to your vendors after Steps 1 and 2 are complete so that you aren't creating an avenue for questions you aren't able to answer. After you've completed the first two steps here's the message I would send: "Due to the current circumstances surrounding the Pandemic COVID-19, I am proactively working to have a plan in place should we have to postpone or reschedule. At this time, I will be continuing to plan for the wedding to happen on *your wedding date* as planned, but have set a backup date of *insert date here*. We of course hope that we will not have to resort to our backup, but if we do, are you still able to provide your services on that date? If so, would you be willing to put a temporary hold on that date for me? I have set a deadline of *insert deadline here* to assess the current pandemic climate and determine if we will shift to our Plan B. I appreciate your flexibility and understanding during this time. I will keep you updated if anything changes." Of course, that message would need to be altered slightly depending on what your Plan B is, but this will spark the conversations you need to be having to solidfy your Plan B. For example, if your Makeup Artist comes back and says they are unavailable on your Plan B date perhaps your consider another date or you look into your options of hiring another Makeup Artist. With this in mind, I would reach out ot your vendors in order of importance to you. If you are 100% dead set on the Photographer you have hired, reach out to them first, so that if they need you to change dates in order for them to be available you can do so before sending out date change emails to your whole vendor team. Nonetheless, as you communicate with each of your vendors you further develop your Plan B and flush out the design of your secondary choice. Covid-19 Emergency Wedding PlanYall, my heart is with all the Brides out there right now. I know it's a tough time to be wedding planning, but if there is any way I can be of assistance to you DO NOT hesitate to reach out. Ever since becoming exposed to the wedding industry when I was a Bride myself, I was comforted by the way every wedding vendor comes together to make fairy tales happen. We're still here, and we're still doing that, even now. Xoxo,
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AuthorHi, my name is Morgan Gossett and I am the owner and Head Coordinator of MG Wedding Coordination. As cliche as it may sound, I love love, and that's exactly why I found my way into the wedding industry. Keep in touch as I reflect on the wonderful big days I get to be a part of and all the wedding day tips and tricks I come up with. Archives
June 2020
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