Weddings and COVID-19
Well, none of us ever imagined this. We’ve been playing at weddings all over Ireland since 2004, and thought we’d seen it all – alpaca ring bearers, grooms in dresses, priests turning up in the wrong church – but never in my maddest dreams did I foresee having a folder on my hard drive labelled Wedding Postponements. So it’s safe to say that nobody has the answers, none of us really knows how to do this. But here’s some advice we can offer to couples navigating the world of the shutdown, based on our experience so far:
– Talk to your suppliers. If you were due to get married in 2020, you’ve almost certainly had to at least consider re-scheduling. Your suppliers are prepared for this. You’ll find we’re supportive and flexible, and we want to help. In our own case, we’ve been able to accommodate date changes for 100% of our 2020 clients so far, meaning nobody has had to cancel. Obviously, COVID-19 has devastated wedding suppliers financially and yes, a lot of us our losing sleep over how we’re going to pay the bills. But in forums like the Wedding Suppliers network, the conversations aren’t about us, they’re not about maximising profits or about what we can get out of this, but about how we can look after our customers. Is this because wedding suppliers are saints? No – though you’ll typically find most are very nice 🙂 – it’s because it’s in our long-term interests too. Couples will always remember the suppliers who were good to them during this crisis, and we’re counting on the fact that they’ll tell their friends about it too.
– Talk to each other! It’s likely that you have friends or family members who are also planning their weddings around now; remember that with almost a year’s worth of wedding celebrations being postponed around the world, the chances of a date clash are that bit higher. More than once we’ve had a couple who were due to marry in 2020 reschedule for 2021, only to have to reschedule again when they learned their new date clashes with their cousin’s or friend’s wedding, possibly itself re-scheduled. Many couples are understandably reticent about sharing wedding plans with their wider circle (as somebody who eloped without telling even her immediate family, I understand this better than most!) and of course it’s stressful to have to consult all your suppliers all over again about date changes, but you could possibly save yourselves some time and further anxiety by keeping friends and family in the loop as well.
– Get planning. We’re hearing from many new clients who’d like to book for 2021 but are understandably nervous about confirming anything right now. Do consider that suppliers’ availability for next year is changing much more rapidly than usual, as we’re effectively trying to manage two years worth of weddings in one, so you may find it harder to secure your preferred date if you leave it too late.
– Accept that there are things that can’t be planned for. It’s nobody’s fault, you did everything right, but 2020 has not worked out the way anybody envisaged. Some couples have shared their stories with us of how they marked their ‘Would-Be-Wedding-Day’, and it’s a rather lovely idea; the day you were due to tie the knot, why not mark it by playing some of the songs you’d planned to include in your ceremony, cook yourselves a nice meal, open a bottle of champagne, and toast to better days to come.
Got any questions on this? We’re waiting to answer them! Drop us a line – info@thegospelprojectireland.com/087-6361314