A Wedding Planner's Advice on the Corona Virus

The Corona Virus a.k.a. COVID19 seems to be all anyone can talk about right now and while it may be Ok to postpone casual travel plans - what are you supposed to do if it is your destination wedding or elopement? The last thing a bride or groom needs is more wedding day stress, especially with something you have no control over! So, as elopement wedding planners we wanted to provide you with the best information we can on this situation as it is unfolding and hopefully alleviate any undue stress and help you make decisions regarding your destination wedding easier. Keep in mind the situation is still unfolding, so things are constantly changing and while we don’t have all the answers this is the best general advice and considerations we can provide that we think you should consider.

Now, let’s look at these what-if scenarios: 

Should I cancel my destination wedding? 

We do not recommend cancelling your wedding or elopement outright unless you absolutely need to or are forced to. If you cancel your wedding there is most likely no way around a significant loss of money on your event. You are going to be at the mercy of the cancellation policies of your vendors and your venue and chances are the closer you are to your wedding date - the bigger these penalties are going to be. Your wedding vendors have most likely already put in work around your wedding and blocked a date off the calendar for you that they will not get to re-book. Many wedding vendors are smaller companies and they simply don’t have the ability to provide full refunds while larger venues like hotels are very strict around cancellations and won’t give you much wiggle room. It is essential to go through all of your wedding contracts prior to cancelling your date and understand what the penalties will be and what your options are before making this decision.

Should I postpone my wedding?

Overall choosing to reschedule your wedding is a much better option than cancelling your wedding outright. While there still may be penalties most venues and vendors understand the complications with the Corona virus and are happy to help. We have been seeing positive responses from hotels, venues and vendors willing to reschedule wedding dates with no penalties as long as they fall within 2020. Of course, this does not apply to everyone and you will have to check your contracts and get in touch with your wedding planner or venues and vendors personally to understand their policies regarding the virus. Postponing beyond 2020 into next year is most likely going to be considered a cancellation or you will incur penalties because vendors will have lost projected income for this calendar year and will not be able to recoup those losses. We suggest careful consideration before rescheduling or postponing your wedding because even if there are no penalties, you will not necessarily be able to get your same venue or vendors again for another date and you will be subject to their availability and lose any deposits with those who you are unable to reschedule.

What if some of my guests are cancelling or no longer can attend?

While it may be unfortunate, there are most likely guests who will choose not to travel for your big day or are not able to because of a travel ban or a compromised immune system.This does not mean you should cancel or postpone your wedding plans, you have significant time and resources invested in your big day and there are a million reasons that prevent guests from attending destination weddings every day. If it is right for you to continue on with your plans then you should do so. The timing for your destination wedding may not be ideal for everyone, but keep in mind that no one can make everyone happy! And although it is not ideal, fewer guests mean that you will be spending less on your wedding day and that may free up resources for you to have a hometown get together after your wedding to celebrate with those who weren’t able to attend.

What can I do to protect our investment if something happens beyond our control and we have to cancel our destination wedding?

A travel ban could prevent your wedding from happening even if you don’t want to cancel your big day. The only recourse we can recommend here is getting an insurance policy that covers Special Event Cancellation or Postponement. Since this is a new situation, not every insurance company is going to provide or honor this coverage so carefully read the terms of each policy and contact a live agent to get the most accurate information before you buy. There are currently many providers who are not offering this coverage, so it is important to ensure they do. Also keep in mind that this type of insurance will not cover you if you voluntarily cancel or postpone your wedding and is for a situation in which you are forced to cancel. There is not a downside of getting event insurance, even if nothing happens with the Corona virus, wedding insurance is great to have and will protect you in many ways “just in case”.

While all of these considerations may be stressful, just remember that panic can be just like a virus, it spreads, so stay informed, deal with facts as they come and be smart in your decision making. Check out reliable sources like the World Health Organization for updates and be sure to be in contact with your wedding planner or vendors at your destination before making any decisions.

At Modern Elopement, we are crossing our fingers that this will blow over soon and that all of your beautiful destination weddings and elopements go off without a hitch! If you are looking for the most effortless way to wed, we would love to help!

Having to re-plan or re-think your wedding? We have the perfect solution, affordable access to a wedding planner to help you navigate this so you don’t have to do it alone and you can enjoy your day - check out our wedding planning subscription the Modern Love Membership and join us!

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