We’re in the midst of a global pandemic that’s evolving every day and totally transforming life as we know it.
At the start of the year, we were eating and drinking at local pubs and restaurants, attending our favourite festivals and travelling the world with our friends and family.
Fast forward a few months and thousands of people around the world are tragically losing their lives, we are in an imposed isolation period and unable to see our loved ones. If the drastic changes to our day-to-day existence weren’t tough enough to deal with, major plans such as holidays, honeymoons, hen dos and weddings are in jeopardy, too.
In fact, millions of people have already been forced to postpone their nuptials after mass gatherings were banned and church ceremonies were limited to just 5 people.
If you’re planning on getting married this year and unsure of the potential risks to your big day, we’ve called on the team at Bridebook, the UK’s number 1 wedding planning app, to share their definitive guide to navigating your nuptials in this turbulent climate.
“Firstly, we know that the situation is far from ideal, but remember that one day it will be over, and you WILL get married to your partner in a wedding filled with love. However, at this time, we all need to be realistic, understanding and flexible,” says Hamish Shephard, Bridebook’s founder.
“Remember that your venue and suppliers are going through an extremely stressful time too, trying to protect their livelihoods, while ensuring they do what is right for their couples. It is a time for all of us to come together and be understanding of a very difficult situation for everyone.”
Here, Hamish shares his forecast of what he thinks the best course of action should be depending on exactly when your wedding is this year…
If your wedding date is in the next few months (March – May)
Our strong recommendation is that you should work with your venue and suppliers to postpone your wedding as soon as possible. This is the right decision on the basis of public health, your financial interest, and for the overall success of your wedding. If your wedding is scheduled any time between now and the end of May, your wedding will certainly be affected and may not be able to go ahead at all. Making postponement arrangements now with your venue will put you in the best position to find a date that works for you, and keep most of the plans and financial commitments that you already have in place. Priority no1 is to talk through your options with your wedding insurer, if you have cover.
Next speak to your venue to discuss alternative date options, and then discuss with your partner and key guests which dates work best for everyone. Keep an open mind with off-peak seasons and non-Saturday wedding dates, as they will undoubtedly become desirable for the many couples rescheduling their weddings. Venues typically have greater availability in Autumn and Winter, and the industry as a whole already sees a trend for couples booking Thursday, Friday and Sunday weddings. These dates are going to be the solutions for many couples, and you should start considering them now.
If you are still considering going ahead with your wedding, please remember that the risk of losing your deposit or other financial commitments will be greater if you don’t make plans to rearrange your wedding date. Given the uncertainties with government guidelines on group gatherings, differing insurance policies for couples and wedding venues, and changing travel restrictions, your wedding will likely need to be cancelled or affected in a drastic way and it is not always clear who will be financially responsible for these cancellations. Since these are unprecedented times and there are so many unknowns, we suggest acting now rather than waiting with fingers crossed. There is a very real possibility that your wedding will not be able to go ahead as planned, and the costs may not be covered by your or the venue’s insurance policy.
If your wedding is planned for the Summer (June-August)
While your wedding may not be in immediate jeopardy, it has the potential to be disrupted, especially if you have overseas or elderly/vulnerable guests. Making a contingency plan now will give you the greatest opportunity to control the outcome and costs, and find a wedding date that works for you without the ongoing stress and anxiety of a potential cancellation or disruption. We recommend starting to have conversations with your partner now about alternatives that will work for you including the possibility of postponing your wedding or contingency plans if some guests are unable to attend. You don’t need to make any immediate decisions right now, but you should be having the relevant conversations. Remember to be patient with your venues and suppliers, as they are having to shuffle weddings that are supposed to take place in the coming weeks too.
If your wedding is in September 2020 or beyond
Our advice at the moment is to keep monitoring the situation closely. Keep an eye on the latest information and consider thinking about basic contingency plans, should you need them. At the moment, we are hopeful that September weddings and beyond will go ahead as planned, but of course we need to monitor the situation closely.
I would personally like to express my utmost sympathy with all of you going through this incredibly tough situation. Now is the time for you and your partner to stick together closer than ever and Bridebook.co.uk will be there to support you too. Remember, this will be over and your big day will come.