Planning your Wedding during Global Pandemic

STEP ONE, DON’T PANIC!

Now is the perfect time to plan your big day since most of us that are not doing essential work suddenly have a lot of time on our hands.

For those of you out in the field doing the work, we commend you! You can still count yourself lucky as you have a bridal party that are most likely able to make up for the time you don’t have at the moment.

STEP TWO, THE FILE

Get a dedicated “WEDDING” file that you will put everything related to your wedding in. (Pamphlets, contact details, contracts, quotations etc.) If you don’t care for a physical file, you can create a folder on your computer (I personally love getting creative having a physical folder but it’s not for everyone).

List out what you have and what you still
List the luxury addon’s that you would like but can go
Add sections to the folder for the main topics: (Those that apply to you)
Venue
Wedding planner
Photographer
Videographer
Dress
Makeup
Hair
Flowers
Décor
Stationery
Officiant
Wedding cake
Entertainment (Band / DJ)
Catering
Drinks
Wedding favors
Contingency plan

STEP THREE, SET A DATE

Have a realistic look at what’s happening in the world.

Decide what time of the year you would like to get married / will be able to get
If the time of year doesn’t faze you, how long do you want to be engaged for?
Does anyone have to travel from far? How long will it take them to make travel and accommodation arrangements?
Decide what you really want,
small elopement / big
Big bridal party / no bridal party
Lots of flowers / minimal flowers
Elaborate couture dress / something minimal and elegant
Heavy makeup with an elaborate hairstyle / natural rosy makeup with loose curls

There are so many options to choose from, remember to not get swooped up and get lost in planning, be intentional about every choice you make.

Find your venue

Stalking Instagram is a good starting point. Look at wedding Photographers pages and other industry professionals that you look at the venues that are linked in photos where you like the setting.
Google these venues and have a look at their websites
Once you found a few that you like contact them asking for their fees and available

SET YOUR DATE

STEP FOUR, START PLANNING

To help you keep your ideas organized create a Pinterest board with the different categories.

Create a board
Above the name of the board there is a “+”, select it and choose the “add section” option for your different categories.
Creating one board with different categories will keep everything in one place and
These sections are smart, once they get a feel of the style you like, suggestions for the board will start popping up to help you with the planning

Have a look at this board as an example of how to set yours up: https://pin.it/5RsJGSE

STEP FIVE, NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT START SCOUTING FOR VENDORS

A good place to start is to ask your venue if they have preferred suppliers that they work with often. Keep in mind the look you want for your wedding and if the vendors fit the profile.

Stalk all the suppliers you are considering on Instagram and save their
Narrow it down to your favourites that will suit the aesthetic of your vision for your wedding day (3-5 of them) and ask them for
Compare the quotes and have a look at your budget, if it fits your budget book them, if not keep
Create a list of all your suppliers with their contact

STEP SIX, PAY THE DEPOSITS TO SECURE YOUR VENDORS

Vendors get booked up months in advance so it’s important to secure your booking with them early. There is a common misconception that some vendors are more important than others, this is simply not true.

You can’t have a great photographer and below average makeup artist. You can’t have a beautiful venue with below average flowers and décor, and vice versa.

This applies for all vendors, together we make the day and memory amazing.

STEP SEVEN, BOOK YOUR TRIALS AND FIRST MEETINGS

Some meetings will happen early in the planning process like venue viewings, dress fittings etc. and others will happen much closer to the time like Makeup & hair trial, mockups with the venue & florist etc.

Make sure these dates are booked in your calendar, so nothing is left for the last minute.

STEP EIGHT, RELAX

All the big things are done now, take a break and whenever you think of something to add / adjust / change write it down in your folder and do it.

(It’s always a good idea to have a “brain dump” page to jot down all your ideas as they come up).

STEP NINE, REVIEW EVERYTHING

Look at what has already been done and what still needs to get done, then get to ideally you want everything to be finalised two weeks to a month before the wedding because believe me, strange things come up that will keep you busier than ever just before the big day.
One month before the wedding send a mail to all your suppliers confirming if everything is still in order for the big.

WHEN YOU NEED TO POSTPONE

Oh, sheet new plan #COVID-19 BE PREPARED

Follow the news closely
Maintain an open conversation with your vendors and
If possible, I would recommend getting a planner to help you navigate this wild ride and offer

If your wedding is planned in July / August 2020:

Have an open discussion with your family and closest friends about the effects of Covid-19 on them for travel and safety.

Be sure to keep up with the latest government orders in your wedding location.

If you decide to postpone,

It’s important to remember that you do have options and your team of vendors will be there to guide you through the process of postponing your event.

“We as suppliers want this to happen for you, you deserve to celebrate your wedding day” let’s just shift the date to make it happen.

Should you decide to postpone to 2021 make any important decisions as soon as you can, then take a nice long planning break for your own sanity.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE WAITING TO POSTPONE:

Consult with your team

Speak with your entire creative team (everyone involved in the day) whether it’s over a zoom call or an email with everyone Cc’d.
Get an idea of the potential backup plan and have alternative dates in place sooner incase regulations or your outlook
The goal is to have all your loved ones safely attend your special day and have a great.

Recognise your priorities

When moving your date first check with the venue if they can accommodate the new
After that simultaneously reach out to all your other vendors to see if they can do the
Chances are slim that your entire plan and team will be able to be carried over without any changes and you’ll have to consider additional In general, you’re aiming for the least amount of changes and financial impact as possible.

Consider your guests

Where your guests are traveling from plays a huge role, they have made travel arrangements and you’ll need to consider how much time they’ll need to make.

IN TERMS OF A POSTPONE-BY DATE

The sooner the better so you can ensure a 2020 date that fits and that you can communicate with your guests quickly, either by phone or an email to them all.

With so many springtime weddings moving, we recommend acting swiftly so you can inform your guests and your team.

Right now, is a weird time and wedding plans are either moving at a rapid rate or we’re incapable of making any decisions whatsoever.

The best thing you can do is create a roadmap of options so that once more information comes in you can make quick and informed decisions.

It’s important to stay informed and make educated decisions as more news becomes available, at the moment it’s a waiting game.

Things are changing day-by-day so don’t do anything drastic before you have a chance to be properly informed.

Weddings for July / August

We recommend that postponements be made no later than mid-May. There is a lot of crucial information coming out in the next two weeks, ensure that you understand the full picture before making serious decisions.

Weddings planned for September and beyond – There’s a little more time but keep in mind guests that are traveling from far and your venues availability.

There is currently an influx of couples who had to postpone and still want to get married in 2020 thus flooding the industry, and dates are limited.

HOW TO CAUTIOUSLY PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME

Talk to your venue – If your venue is popular you might not be able to get a date sooner than a year out if you wait too long, unless of course you choose another day of the week (which is happening more often lately). Talk to your venue and be transparent about your

Speak with your vendors – Sometimes it’s best to prepare for the worst and come up with a game Ask your vendors about solutions should you postpone if you’ve already signed contracts. You should also be able to have honest conversation about your anxieties with all of the vendors on the topic of sanitization and what vendors are doing to keep themselves and their wedding party/guests safe.

Keep everyone in the loop – To avoid constantly having to answer questions add a page to your website or create a WatsApp group letting your guests know you’ll keep them in the loop should any plans
Be considerate of your guests – Account for your guests’ health, time and finances at this time. Try to give yourself a deadline for their comfort and peace of It will be greatly appreciated by them.

REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE DOING THIS, TO PROMISE FOREVER TO YOUR BEST FRIEND

It’s not a matter of if, but WHEN. Your day will come and when it does, it’s going to be spectacular. When everyone will come together and celebrate it will be the happiest memory of your life!

STEP 10, GET MARRIED

Everything is done, and what’s not is your bridal parties’ problem to sort out.

On the day have the following on standby:

Emergency kit
Wedding day playlist (& speaker)
Snacks & bubbly

All your vendors we are on this ride with you and so excited to get you down the aisle!!