Northern California Wedding Planner | Stay at Home & Stay Well

This week we’ve seen the funny #quarantine memes on social media from people getting pretty creative while staying home to flatten the curve of rising cases of COVID-19. The strength in our community to adapt and support small businesses while practicing distancing has been inspiring; we all have friends and family who we know are on the essential front lines. Friends, we wish we could know when we will have normalcy again.

The wedding industry across the globe has taken a dramatic turn as we help couples find alternative dates this fall or in 2021, leaving big questions about wedding insurance & how to move forward for those who decide to cancel. Our team can’t wait to be together again creating beautiful events but for now we have halted all meetings/site visits and will work remotely from our homes. We miss all of our couples & wedding friends!

We want couples to know that it is still ok to be excited about your wedding, to want to create beautiful centerpieces and to dream about your first dance. This won’t last forever but it does require all of us to do our part which means that bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, hair trials, cake tastings and more will be impacted. For those who have a wedding in 2020 and are holding out hope to keep your date, we want to hold out right alongside you but also have a plan B in place with an alternate date that works for all of your vendors. To date, we have been able to successfully move dates while retaining the vendors for close to 20 spring weddings and we know that it is an emotional situation for every one of those couples.

Take the time that you need to press pause on things that are out of your control and give yourself some grace to not have all of the answers on what happens next. Taking that pressure off may help you to also connect with your partner and focus on getting through these next few weeks under the shelter at home order. Who knows maybe you’ll discover a new hobby together! If you need a shoulder or a life line of someone to call - we’re here for any couple who just needs to vent.

Stay well,
Veronica & The 530 Bride Team

Northern California Wedding Planner | What to expect from your vendors during a crisis

Ask any wedding planner about their plan b for a wedding or event and you can bet they have one (or even a plan C!) because it is in our client’s best interest to be prepared in many different scenarios. We plan for inclement weather, guest count changes and site logistic challenges to avoid surprises and mitigate risk for our couple. There are some situations that we can’t always plan for and the past few weeks have given us a challenging set of circumstances caused by the COVID-19 health crisis. Couples across the nation are having to quickly make a decision on how to proceed. If you are engaged and nearing your original wedding date, here’s our take on what to expect from your wedding vendors.

Image Courtesy of Sourced +Co.

First and foremost, we recommend to read your existing contracts and local/state ordinances thoroughly as well as seek legal counsel for any areas that you feel need clarification. Second, we in no way are recommending to ignore state/local or federal mandates in response to COVID-19.  Only you can choose what is right for your wedding and your loved ones, in light of this public health crisis. We respect the right of any vendor to decide they do not feel it is safe for them or their staff to uphold their contract if it risks exposure.

Venue:
If your wedding venue is privately owned they may allow you to proceed until they receive an official ban or state/local ordinance prohibiting gatherings. There could be guest count restrictions that the venue recommends to follow in order to follow the order as closely as possible without having to cancel or postpone. If the venue is a hall that is managed by the county for example, they may have more requirements to follow CDC/FEMA guidelines. You should expect communication on these restrictions, and what the venue’s plan is as well as any open dates should you need to postpone.

Photographer/Videography Team
Many photographers are well equipped to have the location change, guest count change and are generally very accommodating. In the case of COVID-19 the photographer will be organizing group shots and being in somewhat close quarters for getting ready shots and dance photos so we want to be mindful of their guidance on how to keep a distance which could include using a different lens and maybe not pose the photos hands-on. If your photo and video team are traveling - also consider how this affects them depending on where they are traveling from and whether or not they have any restrictions leaving.

Image courtesy of Sourced+Co.

Food service & Bar Team
The catering and bar teams will need to have a plan for how to take extra precaution such as only using disposables, implementing a one sided buffet so that guests aren’t directly touching serving utensils or choosing a plated meal. The bar team may recommend to also use disposable cups or bottled/can beers to reduce touching the glasses/cup surfaces as much as possible. Double check your contract about any terms specific to guest count minimums or fees based on guest count so that you can make those adjustments once you have a clear idea of the accurate guest count. If you are postponing - request a new contract or amendment to your current agreement to reflect the new date.

Image courtesy of Sourced+Co

Rentals & Florals
This is an area that can be tricky because if you are changing your date we want to make sure that all inventory on your order is not currently reserved on the new date, and if you are keeping your date but have a drastically reduced guest count a rental company may only offer the difference as a credit depending on how close you are to your date. Your planner can touch base with your rental companies and check on inventory, payment terms, refunds and changes. Anytime we change the table count, we will want to run back through your floral order and adjust based on the new number of centerpieces needed as well.

DJ’s & Entertainment
When it comes to your DJ/Band they are there to create the atmosphere that you have crafted whether you have planned an upbeat dance party or classic & intimate dinner for your closest friends & family. Plan to check in with your DJ to make adjustments to your toasts, announcements and order of events if you have already submitted your music planner - if you haven’t completed they can likely give advice based on your details & wishes. If you are moving forward with a smaller celebration ask about possibly incorporating a live stream or zoom video option for guests who would like to remotely celebrate with you.

Planning & Design
If you have a planner, you can expect them to be wanting to jump in and help you through remaining decisions and any changes that affect the design and guest experience. For instance if you have two bars due to guest count but expect that you will have less guests we could re-allocate the amount you budgeted for the second bar and go down to one bar. The difference could be used to upgrade your cocktails or add another appetizer etc. If you are postponing to another season in the same year, we would want to go back over your timeline and adjust for the sunset timing on the new date and also adjust any seasonal items in your menu or floral recipe that are going to change. For the couple who’s date is further out please note that your planner is working diligently for the each client and will first be securing new dates for couples who need to postpone but will reach out to you for check-ins and to keep your planning on track.

All in all, you have your team of vendors so lean on them for support when you need it. It is perfectly okay to need a minute to breathe and to wait & see. No one expects you to have it all figured out yet but just remember that celebrating your love is not dependent on a physical place or date - and no matter what your friends and family will understand any decision that you make.

Stay well friends,
Veronica & The 530 Bride Team

Northern California Wedding Planner | Wedding Community Support - COVID-19 Response

It’s unavoidable to see updates throughout the day of the COVID=19 virus impacts across the globe, and our hearts go out to everyone who has been directly effected or experiencing the ripple effect of the virus. We know that when planning a wedding the last thing on your mind is social distancing and hand sanitizer, and our focus is on supporting our couples and wedding-pro friends through this.

While our local area has not had any positive cases - we are keeping a close eye on CDC and World Health Organization recommendations for gatherings. Please see the most current update as of March 15th regarding social gatherings of 50 guests or more. (click here for direct link to CDC update)

It should be noted that the current CDC recommendation is not an official ban, but that could change, pending updates from Governor Newsom. In the meantime for couples who have an upcoming wedding in the next 8-10 weeks we encourage you to take time and discuss with your family about what is right for your wedding and loved ones.

With that being said we have compiled the following tips regarding some of the main questions that couples may have:

1. Will my event/cancellation insurance cover COVID-19
   Each policy writer will have specific clauses relating to provisions and exclusions, so it is important to review your policy documents and refer to the company’s website for further instructions. Please note that we have seen strong advice to not attempt to purchase any new cancellation policies related to the COVID-19 outbreak, as a known occurrence at the time of purchase would be excluded from coverage.

2. Are vendors cancelling any dates?
   As of now, the consensus we have seen from the majority of vendors is the intent to honor all dates and will make adjustments as they relate to hand washing, sanitation, staffing, etc as recommended to take every precaution for your safety. There may be fees for moving your date, refer to your vendors/venue agreement for clarification.

3. Will my guests be able to travel to my wedding?
   Travel impacts are expected however we are seeing several updates indicating that domestic air travel is relatively safe due to cabin air pressure and at this time we haven’t seen airports specifically discontinuing flights. We do expect guest counts to be lower in the earlier months of wedding season especially with older groups or families with small children.

We will continue to stay updated on press releases as well as local impacts to assist our couples and the local wedding community. If you have an upcoming event and do not have a planner to assist you, please reach out as we will always offer a complimentary time to discuss your plans & how we can best help you.

Our team will be working to reach out to all of our scheduled couples and their vendors to establish a working plan B as well as taking precautions so that our whole team stays healthy in order to best serve our couples. This will include scheduling virtual meetings with our couples and vendors for the next few months.

Stay well,
The 530 Bride Team