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COVID-19 Advice
Here are some answers to the most common questions I have been asked since the start of Coronavirus. This page will be updated constantly to reflect my recommendations on what Gov. Kate Brown has issued as guidelines for large groups. If you have a question that wasn't answered below, reach out to me on the contact page or via email
Should I cancel or postpone?
While your first instinct might be to cancel everything, get in bed, and imagine you are on a beach somewhere in Bali, think back to why you wanted to have a wedding in the first place. You and your fiancé could have eloped, but you chose to invite all your loved ones to be together in one room to witness a celebration of the love you have searched for your whole life. COVID-19 does not have to take this moment away from you.
There are a few options for postponement that let you have your cake and eat it too. The first option would be to move your wedding date into the next year and keep everything exactly the same. All of your food, decor, florals, ceremony, cake, music, and guests will stay exactly the same, it will all just take place on a date where the threat of infection isn't hanging in the air. The second option is to get married on the original date you had planned, either at the courthouse or with just immediate family and after waiting until it is safe to resume, have a big reception with all the friends and family you originally invited. The third option would be a mix of the two. You can hold a small wedding at the courthouse and then a year later hold the ceremony and reception you had planned originally.
Cons of Cancellation
Deposits
You have probably already put down deposits for all of your vendors. In many cases these deposits are non-refundable. While most companies charge a date change fee, we have been seeing that change for weddings that have to be moved due to Coronavirus. Instead, they will keep your deposit on file and simply move you to a new date. If you cancel completely, chances of you getting your non-refundable deposit back are very low.
Family and Friends
There is a reason why weddings exist. It is to celebrate with your friends and family by eating good food, drinking good wine, and dancing 'till dawn. This is a once in a lifetime experience that nobody wants you to miss out on. I know that my parents still talk about how much fun they had at their wedding and although it may feel easier to cancel everything completely it may be something you regret. Down the line, you can plan your wedding again but by then you will have lost your deposits and likely need to restart the planning process.
While the decision whether to cancel or postpone is one we cannot make for you, no matter what you decide, we will be there to support you.
How can a planner help?
Right now, having a planner is more important than ever before. Planning a wedding is always difficult for anyone trying to navigate the wedding industry on their own, but now that Coronavirus seems to be throwing us a new curve, it feels impossible. A wedding planner's number one job is to be an advocate for their clients.
Here are a just a few of the things planners always do for their clients that have become crucial during COVID-19.
No.1 Vendor Communication
Your vendors are all receiving massive amounts of emails and phone calls from all of their customers and vendor colleagues and there is only so much they can do in one day. Having a planner can help you move towards a solution in a quarter of the time it takes for you to reach out to each of your vendors and wait for a response. We work with our vendor partners so closely that we are often able to answer a lot of the questions you might be wondering and if we don't, they are usually only a text away. Imagine not having to communicate with your vendors every single time you need to make a time change, update glassware counts, or add an extra bartender. Sounds nice right? A planner can take over all communication so you don't have to worry about a thing.
No.2 Problem Solving
Are your grandparents stuck in Spain? Let's get them in the front row via FaceTime. The bakery wants to charge you $150 to deliver donuts outside of Portland? We'll pick them up. Have a stain on your dress? No problem. We have Tide-to-Go pens in our kits, along with Advil, BandAids, a lint roller, scissors, lighters, duct tape, safety pins, wine stain remover, chapstick, and anything else you could ever need. Think of us as your own personal Marry Poppins.
No.3 Providing Resources
When you book us as your planner, you are given access to a whole list of resources like vendor recommendation lists, timelines, worksheets, seating charts, floorplans, budget trackers, design moodboards, floral moodboards, and comprehensive design plans.
No.4 Offering Experience
You don't know what you don't know and planners can quickly spot things that may become a problem on your wedding day. We will make sure that you don't forget easels for your welcome sign, make sure you have a pen in hand to sign your marriage license, or make sure you have the right holders so your table numbers don't blow away in the wind. We also make recommendations of vendors we know will do a fantastic job. We know who shows up late and who always runs out of food. We all learn the most valuable lessons through experience and wedding planners have seen it all, and I mean ALL.
Should I start planning my wedding for 2021 or 2022?
Absolutely.
If you want to have your wedding in 2021 or 2022, right now is the best time to plan your 2021 or 2022 wedding. Since couples have had to move their weddings from 2020 to a later date, venues are already booked for many 2021 and 2022 dates. There are also many companies that are currently offering COVID-19 discounts, including us! I like to recommend that couples talk with their planners before selecting a venue because your planner will have plenty of insider information on the best venues. If you had your heart set on a venue that is unavailable for your date, your planner can give you recommendations for a venue you might like even better.
To help out in these uncertain times we are offering 15% off of our planning packages booked before July 1st, 2020.
Will I still be able to get flowers for my wedding?
You bet.
We are so lucky to live in Oregon which is home to some of the most amazing flower farms in the entire country, so we have no shortage of local options to choose from. Before we reach out to our wholesaler, we always try to source everything we can locally. You might be surprised to know what we can actually grow here. I'm looking at you, specialty tropical orchids.
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