We’ve heard this said a thousand times but it is still true, we have all been through it in 2020. However, there is a special level of anxiety for couples trying to plan a wedding. As we continue to move forward with wedding planning into 2021 and beyond, we have a few words to advice to pass on to help couples cover their a**** while they plan.
Look for a venue with both indoor & outdoor options.
In the best of times, everyone wanted a venue that had a workable rain plan. Then, 2020. Now couples need to make sure their venue can accommodate an outdoor wedding so guests can properly socially distance and the air can circulate freely. As much as we adore Philadelphia and cannot wait to be back at all the beautiful venues in the city, many suburban venues are better suited for pivoting to an outdoor wedding.
Having a built in plan B of outdoor space is a huge weight off the shoulders of already weary couples attempting to plan for all contingencies. Check out our list of fantastic suburban venues if you need a place to start!
Read the contracts. All the way.
Friends, this is important. Everyone that we know in the industry has updated their contracts to include clauses surrounding the pandemic and outlines what their policies are. This covers everything from rescheduling fees and processes, cancellation policies, and any provisions they can make. Knowing these things can help you make informed decisions about which vendors to hire and protect you from anything you aren’t willing to agree to.
A couple things to look for are if there’s a new deposit needed to postpone your date or if you will be subject to new rates if you move your date into a different year. Reading through your contract will help you be prepared should something prompt a change in your plans.
One thing that makes our team unique is our low initial retainer. While a retainer is designed to lock in a date with our team, hand-select the photographer who will lead your day, and allow us the means to take all the time we need to help you plan a perfect day, it’s also a non-refundable liability across the industry. Our flat rate $500-1000 retainers are a much easier cost to swallow than most of our peers, who will expect anywhere from 30-50% of their total package up front and legally non-refundable.
Ask tough questions of your professional team. (And seek their guidance when you need help.)
We’ve had so many couples utter these words over the last few months. “I hate to ask, but what is your COVID policy?” or “What do you do in case of (insert disastrous scenario here)?” You should never feel bad asking hard questions of your wedding day professionals. In fact, you 100% should be asking tough questions about how a business is handling the pandemic, what contingencies are in place, etc. Even beyond the scope of the pandemic into how they handle other emergencies. The responses to these questions will tell you all you need to know about their ability to adapt and provide you an amazing experience, in any and all circumstances.
Also, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your professional teams for help! We know the wedding industry inside and out! In addition to our normal emergency plans for unexpected circumstances, we have been navigating these tricky waters for almost a whole year now, balancing rescheduled events with safely managed events. We’ve seen lots of innovative ideas and ways to be safe while still having a gorgeous wedding day, and are happy to pass on any information that will help you.
Hire Professionals with strong (& very responsive) communications.
Nothing is more frustrating than when you’re working through a problem, a reschedule, or a pivot and can’t get ahold of your professional team. Make sure you consider response time and how effectively communications happen from the beginning. If a pro can’t maintain a 24-48 hour response time (during the week, remember weekends are for weddings) when times are great, can you imagine what their response times will be when they are under stress or balancing the kinds of challenges this pandemic has created?
One of the big benefits of having a team behind the scenes is our quick response times and flexibility for scheduling! Between our studio manager Rachel & creative director Ashley, we’re in our inbox almost every day and will do our best to make sure that you feel well-cared for, in good times & in bad, sickness & health. . . you get our drift!
Take things virtual!
While we hope that Zoom weddings will become far less necessary, there are lots of virtual options to save some money while still keeping your guests informed about what’s going on with your wedding.
1 – Build a wedding website. Most major wedding planning sites have a feature to allow you to create a personalized wedding site. Make one! Then share it with everyone you want to keep in the loop about your wedding day plans. In the digital age, it’s easy to broadly spread information to many people at once.
2 – Share your news “in-person” with video chats. There’s a plethora of video calling platforms now, use one of them to see your loved ones face to face and share updates with them. This is a helpful tool for communicating with your wedding party and getting things done in real time. Plus, it can be a nice way to bring some fun back to the whole process.
3 – Consider virtual save the dates. Printing a new save the date or invitation suite can add up quickly. If you want to set a date but think there could be a potential for postponement, send your guests (as many as possible) a save the date online. That way you can change things up with no additional cost to you. This could also be a tab on your wedding website as mentioned above. Once you’re confident in your wedding date, then send a hard copy. Or don’t! It’s up to you!
Ready to take the next step?
As a full service photography & videography team, we’re ready to help you create a perfect wedding day! Let’s connect and talk in more detail!
