It's March 17, 2020 and the COVID-19 situation is rapidly changing; this post looks at three things: 1) weddings in the next 4-6 weeks, 2) what Georgian Roots is doing, and 3) other helpful resources.
As of today, Ontario has declared a state of emergency, and everyone is advised to avoid person to person interactions as it will help to flatten the curve, therefore spreading out the amount of stress on hospitals and available resources. Public gatherings of more than 50 people are not currently allowed.
We all have a civic duty to keep each other safe, and following the recommendations of the government as advised by the chief medical officer is the place to start.
IF YOU'RE WEDDING IS IN THE NEXT 4-6 WEEKS
If you are planning a wedding in the next 4-6 weeks here are our suggestions:
STEP 1- Talk with your partner about: what postponing, cancelling, or moving forward would mean; how you're feeling; and what your guests' situations with travel and accommodation are. Most vendors, starting with your florist, will probably need to know your decision within 30 days of your event.
STEP 2 - Contact your vendors to find out what their plans and policies are, and what their availability is like for a rescheduled date.
STEP 3 - Get in touch with your guests about what your decision is, postponing, cancelling, or moving forward.
WHAT GEORGIAN ROOTS IS DOING
Georgian Roots is going to be doing four things in the next few weeks in relation to COVID-19:
1. Pause on taking new bookings until May 2020. This is so we can accommodate our current clients if they need to reschedule. However, if you're interested in working with us, please reach out as we are more than happy to still chat with you, we're just not going to set-up anything concrete for the next month. If things get better sooner than that, we will post an update.
2. Extend our Date Change window. In addition to pausing new bookings to maximize date change options for existing clients, we are broadening our date change window to 18 months. This is to give more flexibility for couples to find a mutually agreeable date with us to which to apply existing deposits.
3. Virtual meetings only.
4. Be more active on social media. In the past we haven't posted every day, but we are working every day behind the scenes. Planting, sketching, planning, finding new sources of inspiration...so, to provide some distraction and motivation during the COVID-19 isolation and social distancing measures, we're starting a 30-day social campaign where we share more.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
The VIP Collective has a great podcast, Navigating your wedding plans during COVID-19 that we highly recommend as it covers some great questions with advice from highly experienced planner and designer, Diana Pires. Thanks to Maddie from Madeline Hockley Weddings for the heads up on this great podcast!
Helpful video content:
3:00 Speaking to vendors
9:00 Postponing and asking for a full refund.
13:00 Non Refundable Deposits
15:10 What happens if my vendor is booked for my new wedding dates
16:10 Considering whether to postpone or not. What are the steps
19:00 What do to about sending out stationery
21:05 Cancelling your wedding
23:00 If you are planning moving forward in the next 4 weeks
27:55 Q&A from our followers
39:50 What it's like to be in the wedding industry during COVID19
We don't have all the answers, and whether your planning your wedding, or are a wedding professional and need to talk or brainstorm solutions, feel free to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you and chat about it.
Stay safe, stay home, stay positive,
xoCady