The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the wedding landscape as we know it, forcing couples to make hard decisions about how to handle their wedding. Some are postponing, some are cancelling, and others are having small ceremonies to make it official now and planning for a bigger celebration once the dust settles.
Fortunately, the wedding industry is chock-full of creatives who are quick to find new, innovative solutions to continue serving our clients throughout this crisis.
We connected with industry pros (virtually!) to see how they’re handling the current situation and pivoting their business to accommodate clients’ decisions — here’s what they had to say.
Checking in with contracts
“Keeping the business is incredibly important right now! Vendors should have cancellation or postponement clauses in their contracts. I think it's important to limit how far out the postponement can take place (a year max!) and the date should be mutually agreed upon based on availability of the vendor. Hopefully this will help fill Fridays/Sundays and the client will be happy that their wedding was able to take place sooner rather than later.” —Nora Sheils, Rock Paper Coin and Bridal Bliss
Connecting with clients regularly
“Lean into your relationship-building skills. Good relationships are built on trust. How do you build trust? Show up consistently. If you have a couple whose wedding has been pushed out by several months, use that time to stay in contact. Make a list of helpful tips and then send them one-by-one to your couple weekly to keep them engaged and motivated. Send monthly videos or schedule calls to check in. Remember birthdays, dating anniversaries, and milestones and send a card in the mail. Be a trusted friend and guide.” —Aleya Harris, Flourish Marketing
Helping to plan the logistics
“Be as flexible and helpful as possible. If you’re able to help them with a small amount of food or floral now for their intimate wedding, do it. Provide your Zoom account for them to have friends and family able to watch. Help them navigate applying for a marriage license online or by mail. Help them arrange food to be dropped off at their home for them to celebrate, a small cake, perhaps some meals for them and the officiant, etc. Be creative in how you can maintain the guidelines or in some cases mandates but still be as helpful as possible!” —Laura Maddox, Magnolia Celebrates
Coordinating “express” wedding packages
“We are so lucky that we can still help by coordinating what items they still need, such as a bridal bouquet, live-streaming services for the ceremony, and possibly a photographer (depending on the gathering/quarantine orders at their location). We’ve been working with local florists, photographers and even videographers on creating packages to provide these scaled-down services, often in a hurry. If the bakeries are able to be open, we’ve had some provide a small cake for the couple to cut at home and enjoy together.” —Wendy Kidd, Each & Every Detail
Planning ahead with creative partners
“Before a booked couple asks to reschedule to a date you are not available, partner up with a few other vendors in your category, discuss pricing and supporting each other and create a shared availability doc. Just in case they request a booked date, you can offer them an associate on your "team" to fulfill the contract.” —Shannon Tarrant, WeddingVenueMap.com
Rescheduling with flexibility
“If your couple is open to having a larger celebration down the road, it’s really important to be flexible. Keep in mind the couple wanted your services, they wanted your business to be apart of their wedding day, and they never imagined that it would not happen the way they have been planning and envisioning for so long. Accommodate them by 1st offering them any other remaining dates you have this year at no additional cost. Most couples that are postponing do not want to wait until 2021.” —Dixie Bagley, The Farm Venue, The Sweet Bar Bakery, and Dixie Events Planning
The situation we’re in is unprecedented, so the most important thing you can do for yourself, your business, and your clients is to remain adaptable and prepared to adjust your plan at a moment’s notice. Your clients will look to you as the expert, so try to remove the emotion from the situation and do everything you can to help them reach the best plan possible. This will look different from client to client, so stay flexible and understanding of their emotions in regards to family, finances, and the loss of their perfect wedding day.
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding PR and wedding marketing firm OFD Consulting. Ely is a sought-after speaker, adjunct professor in the field of public relations, and a self-professed royal wedding enthusiast.