Last December 2019 a new virus erupted in the province of Wuhan in China which has dramatic symptoms and fatality on some infected patients. Since then the countries where the virus erupts are shutting down the economy and are keeping the population isolated in order to prevent new infections. This has a dramatic effect on the events and by extension on weddings.

We are a small team of wedding photographers and wedding planners based in Lausanne, Switzerland (slika.ch and wedding-planner-pro.com) and here all the events are on pause. Mid-March one of the biggest event of our region were canceled: the Geneva motor show that takes part every year and gathers more than 10 000 visitors, smaller events like concerts were gently canceled until the decision of the Swiss government to forbid any gathering of more than 5 persons until the 19 of April. Passing this date it is uncertain wether this confinement will continue or could the Swiss population  come back to a normal life state.

This situation has a big impact on all kind of businesses. All of our partners had to stop working as we had to do.

During this period a lot of weddings were canceled and are on standby until the month of July. Weddings with guests from abroad even after July are keeping canceling them as the situation with visas are uncertain and it has a big impact on the moral and finances of our clients.

Here are a few tips that can help to cope with the situation and plan better the exit of the covid-19 quarantine.

And of course the priority is to keep you safe of the infection so do not visit places unless it is crucial and if you do it please use all the recommendations about protection and cleaning.

Pick a new date and video-call your guests

If you are in confinement and had to cancel your wedding it is a good time to talk with your partner to choose an other day for your wedding. This can be the occasion to pick the real date you wanted. So first of all be sure that all your guest are available and can make it on this new date. So the best idea is to make a video-call to talk about it and see how they are doing. It might also please them to see you in those difficult times.

Call immediately the professionals you were in contact with

It is really important to call them back and check wether they are available or not. Spend some time discussing the fees you already payed, they can report them on the new date or refund you regarding the exceptional situation we are all in.

Make video conferences with the guests

This could be the moment to contact all your guest one by one and spent some time with them taking about the wedding. As the shut down is touching the entire planet they might be able to book the new date with no pressure.

Make video conferences with the professionals

As they are out of the office probably spending this time at home you can take advantage of the free time and really see if they are suiting your expectations. You can contact photographers and talk with them about their approach and choose the one you feel that is close to your vision.

Book as soon as you can all the professionals you need

As a lot of the events have to be canceled and postponed so all these people organizing are making calls every day to ensure that everyone is available. So with every day tasing there are less and less companies that have weekends available for later this year or for 2021 so contact them an be sure that they are available for your new date.

Transfer the amount of money required

Some dates are only in the talking process they are booked but it is still not sure. If you have picket the right day for everyone, do not hesitate to block it by booking it with an advance of money. the companies will jump on the occasion because they might be running out of cash flow so it could help them.

Crawl the internet about the decoration

This can give you opportunity to find new ideas about the decoration and the fun parts of the wedding. So now you have time and are together at home with your partner you can jump on the occasion to validate or change things you weren’t so excited about.

Think or rethink your vows

Writing something personal and read it in front of an audience is never an easy task. So if you are avoiding the moment of getting it done seriously it could be the right time. So thinking about the real things you want to say to your partner. Now you are in a difficult situation with the confinement you might discover some new great aspect about him/her, so write them down and it might surprise him/her.

The honeymoon

If you were planning to go on your honeymoon after the wedding you can choose to keep it as holiday or postpone it. It is important the contact them and the authorities to understand the situation. If the virus is spreading slowly in their region, they might decline new arrivals from outside. So be patient and try to negotiate a new date. No one likes to cancel and risk their business so postponing might be a better choice.

A smaller party

If the situation gets better until the date you were planning there might be some guests that are available so you can choose to make a smaller party in order to mark the day. You should always call and refer to the authorities to see if it is possible. Otherwise keep yourself safe at home.