Regardless of what we do in the weddings and events industry, at our core, people hire us for our experience and expert advice. That's the "pro" part of wedding professionals. We know how hard it is to stay on top of what's trending, the rising stars in our markets, and who's offering what. But this year, in the unprecedented age of COVID-19, we've all had to up our game.
Be Proactive & Lead the Way
It's in our best interest as wedding and event pros to jump in and lead the conversation with our clients. Being on top of the "what's next?" conversations is key to moving our businesses forward and instilling a sense of calm in our clients.
What Happens If We Postpone?
For most of us, this is the first question we hear from our clients, and to be completely honest, the answer will differ from region to region and client to client. In the majority of cases, pushing a wedding back a few months looks like the best option to help preserve our wedding season, keep cash flow, and help safeguard the client's deposit. However, it's becoming increasingly more complicated than that.
It now depends on what our local and state governments are doing in terms of phased reopenings and social gathering regulations. We also need to be keeping an ear to the ground as to whether initial business reopenings cause a spike in new infections and if our municipalities are pulling back.
Moving a wedding date multiple times can be incredibly stressful, coupled with everything else going on for couples at home, so exploring how far down the road they're comfortable with moving the wedding is essential.
If we look across the wedding planning process, some questions can drive your client conversations and provide them with options to move forward.
Here are a few things to ask as a general starting point:
- Will you be okay with the possibility of drastically cutting your guest list?
- How many of your wedding guests may be traveling in from out of state, and who may not travel for a while?
- Do you have a large number of close family members who are older or have health concerns?
Ceremony:
- If your ceremony is in a house of worship, have they reopened for services?
- Is there enough space that socially distant seating can be accomplished?
- Are you okay with your wedding party being seated and not standing with you?
- Is there an outdoor option where socially distant seating might be more comfortable to do?
Venue & Catering:
- Your current venue has a maximum capacity of ___, would you be okay if you were limited to 50% or 25% of that number?
- How would you feel if we were not able to offer a buffet or family-style service?
- What if we had to limit or eliminate dancing to protect social distancing?
- Does your budget allow for additional servers or bartenders in the case we need to change the way things are served to eliminate lines with guests gathering?
Stay Calm
Every couple will have a different comfort level regarding what they consider safe for themselves and their wedding guests. Keeping them well informed and know what areas might potentially create the most stress is important. Knowing what options to present means connecting with your creative partners to identify what can be accomplished and at what cost, if any.
Couples who initially planned to provide transportation for their guests could be concerned about disinfecting the vehicles, drivers wearing masks, the options to social distance, and the added cost to add on more vehicles. Additional signage to offer contactless directions, share menu options, and mark spaces for social distancing can be an excellent add on service for wedding pros, as well as something that helps eliminate stress. Be prepared to offer ideas to space out guests jockeying to find an escort card or see a seating chart.
Go Digital
Now is absolutely the time to have a considerable arsenal of tech ideas for your couples. Offer simple ideas like online wedding websites where they can share wedding details or changes of plans. Couples can set up a digital guest book where wedding guests can leave messages for them rather than handling a guest book at the wedding.
It's also a great time to reinforce the idea that wedding gifts can be shipped directly to the couple rather than bringing them to the wedding. A simple note on their website alongside the places they have registered might do the trick. Be sure you can offer couples innovative ideas such as live streaming and a virtual photo booth, allowing guests a chance to participate who might not be able to attend the wedding in person.
Planning for the Future
Working with newly engaged couples may still come with a thousand "what if" questions. Discussing options like hosting their destination wedding at a local, domestic destination where guests might not have to travel out of the country or a micro wedding—an under 50 guest wedding focused on the guest experience—is becoming more and more attractive.
When Canceling Is the Only Option…
We might have some couples who have yet to leave their homes or have health concerns who, regardless of financial loss, choose to cancel and revisit wedding planning somewhere down the road. We have to be okay with that, but also make sure that they understand entirely any loss or penalty that might occur.
Hero photo courtesy ShelbyRae Photographs
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