This is one post I really don’t want to have to write…and frankly, never thought I would even have to write…but here we are. First and foremost, I hope everyone reading this is safe and well and are able to stay that way. If anyone needs anything, please feel free to reach out and I’ll try and help the best I can. I mean it. We need to come together as humans in times like these and do what we can to help.
The wedding and event industry has been hit hard. We survive on the money we get from servicing these events and when they’re canceled that means we either don’t get paid or end up having to give back money—often money that we don’t have anymore. As small businesses we rely on the cash flow we get from deposits and incremental payments and while we keep some in reserves to refund the occasional cancellation, it simply is not enough to refund every event for the next few months. In regular life, cancellations rarely happen. I’ve been in this industry since 2003 and have previously only ever had ONE event cancel. With the current CDC guidelines, I’m juggling at least 5 events, possibly 10 events if this extends into July that might just disappear in to thin air.
It’s a scary time. And I know it’s scary for everyone, not just event professionals.
I want to tell all my clients, and anyone else planning an event, YOU DON’T HAVE TO CANCEL! Your dream day doesn’t have to be kaput if you reach out to your vendors and start the process of rescheduling. The sooner you get to your vendors, the more dates they will have open on the calendar to be flexible with. I will NOT be charging any penalty for rescheduling or charging any kind of new retainer fee for the new day and I know many of my other vendors will be doing the same. I will simply send you an amended contract with an updated event date and updated payment terms if you have any payments left to be paid, or a notation that you’ve already paid in full if that is the case for your event.
Is it possible that your new date will conflict with at least one of your vendors? Yes. It’s possible. But the sooner you reach out, the better chance you have at either not running in to that problem or minimizing it with perhaps only having to change one vendor and not all of them. Prioritize which vendors you can’t live without and make sure those are the ones that can work the new date.
I’d also like to point out this is an excellent time to hire a wedding planner. If you feel overwhelmed by things, a planner can be instrumental in cutting through the chaos. They can call your vendors and coordinate reschedules. Through their long lists of contacts, they can help you find a quality new vendor if you should find yourself needing to switch vendors for anything.
The bottom line is we we want to work with you. We want to honor your contract. We want to amend that contract and not cancel it. If your event suddenly looks smaller, okay, talk to us. If you want to still do a small elopement on your original date but move the big party/reception to another date, talk to us. If you want to move everything to next year, talk to us. If your job has been affected and you’re struggling with payments, talk to us.
Planning a wedding can be stressful under normal circumstances. It’s a lot of moving parts. Adding this whole potentially deadly viral outbreak to the mix can make it feel hopeless and impossible. Please, don’t panic. I’m here for you and I know your other vendors are too. Call us. Email us. We’ll work together to find a solution.
In the meantime, stay home as much as you can, wash your hands, and be well!
