Covid -19 and your wedding – Victorita Axinescu Wedding Planner

Planning a wedding does not appear to be linked to global events, political or economic crises. However, there are private events, and I insist on thinking of weddings in the strict sense of an intimate party. But recent events show us that things are not as isolated, private and personal as we like to believe.

Yes, this article is about the new coronavirus, in the context of the wedding industry and to what extent it should concern us. Here are some ideas that I have collected and that I intended to discuss with my clients, but which, at this moment, I consider very suitable for discussion with all my readers.

If you offer services or products in the wedding sector, I have written an article for you: you can find it here!

What do we know so far? (9 March 2020)

Covid-19 is the most recent form of coronavirus, which appeared in China a few months ago (more precisely in December 2019). It is a virus that is transmitted from person to person, through droplets that come out of the nose or mouth. These droplets can fall onto a variety of surfaces, from where they can be picked up by touching the surface, then touching your face, mouth, or nose. According to the WHO, the most common symptoms include fatigue, fever and dry cough.

We know that approximately 80% of people who come into contact with the virus will have mild or no symptoms, and that there is a greater likelihood of complications in high-risk populations, such as older adults, people with other medical conditions, and smokers. We also know, from analyzing the data we have so far, that this is a very contagious virus and the WHO is already warning about this ongoing pandemic. There is currently no vaccine to prevent its spread, but scientists around the world are working hard to make progress in the fight against the virus.

Some regulations may affect your wedding plans

Unfortunately, we cannot yet know the impact the virus will have on the wedding industry. In Romania, for example, we are still in the “fasting season,” which means there won’t be many weddings or private events in the coming months. The first weddings are traditionally expected to begin in early May. It may all end until then – that’s something we can’t know for now – but scientists and public health specialists are tight-lipped about a long-term prognosis.

The wedding industry is interconnected with commercial markets around the world. We carry chairs, tables and tableware, small decorations and even Chinese wedding dresses. In Romania we also have some great brands of wedding dresses in Spain and Italy. The flowers are grown all over the world and sold (mostly) through the Dutch Stock Exchange. Food is largely imported from the EU and non-EU countries. What I’m trying to emphasize is that when you look at the big picture, your wedding is not a little, little assemblage. This is not an isolated event, under conditions of such threats.

You may need to travel for your wedding in Romania. Or you have friends and family traveling. This adds to a number of concerns. For now, the Romanian Ministry of Health has issued a ban on flights from Italy and strict rules for those traveling from Iran and China. Germany and Spain could follow, because in these countries the number of cases is increasing. All events and gatherings of more than 1000 people have been rescheduled or cancelled. Sporting events and other large events, such as concerts and conferences, have received a serious blow from these measures. Local authorities could impose even stricter rules in the coming days.

What can we expect?

Well, I don’t claim to be a public health expert, but with a private view of things, I can think of a few scenarios. Without overwhelming me, though.

The optimistic scenario It would be that once the weather gets warm, the number of new cases will slowly decrease to zero. This means that, until the wedding season begins, the regulations, which now seem to be a crisis, will ease and they will experience a normal summer, full of weddings and private events.

A more reserved scenario It looks a little different. We could see very strict regulations coming into force in the coming weeks. Some suppliers may experience delivery delays. The flower market is very exposed to this crisis, because trade routes are starting to close. There may be other outcomes, which I find difficult to imagine.

What can we do?

I didn’t write this article to panic people and I certainly don’t want to spread bad news. I still try to sort out my thoughts and see what proactive things and measures I have the least control over. Of course I want to see what things we can do together, as a community of small business owners and direct customers.

In addition to the need to stay informed from trusted sources, here are some things that might help you:

1. If the expected number of guests is more than 100, check local regulations and whether this may result in special approval for holding the event.
2. Discuss with the facility and/or the caterer and check which contractual clauses may apply. It is important to understand what happens if the number of guests decreases significantly compared to what was initially expected. An honest discussion, in time, might be better than hoping that everything will be fine.
3. Review the guest list and pay special attention to those who would have to travel to come to the wedding. Is there a risk of not being able to travel (due to current regulations or out of prudence)?
4. Is your dress ordered from a local store or with overseas production? Consult the dress shop and check if there are delays in delivery, but also what measures can be taken to be able to deliver the dress on time.
5. The same goes for jewelry, rings or other neat items in your outfits.
6. If you work with a Wedding Planner, set up a meeting to discuss in detail your concerns, the guests, but also some safety measures you can take on the wedding day.
7. Try to limit meetings in the next period or move most of them online.
8. You can consult other collaborators of your wedding, to see to what extent they may have problems with the delivery or participation in the event. It’s a good time to address their health issues as well. Everyone wants to be safe.
9. In relation to honeymoon plans, check travel insurance, if you have one, but also what measures apply in case of cancellation. If you haven’t made any plans for your honeymoon yet, it’s an idea to hold off on making the decision until things are more certain and more information is available.
10. Last but not least, take personal precautionary measures in the following period and comply with all local regulations, including travel or gathering restrictions. Avoid crowds and wash your hands often and rigorously.

I hope that things improve soon and that we start to see positive news on this very sensitive topic. We have some extremely beautiful weddings planned for this season, which we want to see come true!

Do you think it is important to deal with this topic? What are the most important things we should consider in terms of safety and health measures?