PLANNING A WEDDING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Congratulations! You are engaged! At this time you want to share your joy with loved ones, throw yourself into wedding planning and start connecting with different wedding vendors. However, currently everything is at a standstill. The world has frozen in time, people are social distancing and a lot of businesses have been forced to close. People are questioning job stabilities and quarantine measures and practices. It is hard to be in celebratory mood amidst the clouds.

However it is important to remember, pandemic or not this is a special time in your life. An engagement is a truly a significant milestone. Just remember that even though things may not be happening the way you want right now, you sure can plan for them in the future!

Wedding planning can be a great distraction in these trying times. It can serve as something positive to put your energies into. You can also use this quiet time away from distractions and your busy life to plan out your wedding vision. Here are some pointers from us!

STEP 1: COMMIT TO A DATE

This is usually the starting point for all of the planning. It’s important to consider what time of the year you would like to get married, are you stuck on a time of year or a particular date?

It’s important to keep in mind that now more than ever you will have to have a more flexible approach to dates. With a lot of weddings being postponed to 2021, there’s a possibility that your favorite venues might already be booked for Saturdays. If you always wanted a spring wedding, you might have to wait till 2022. The best way to deal with this is to

1. Go into it with a few options in mind. Keep a range of days, times that you will be willing to choose as your special day

2. Remember that if you celebrate on a Sunday or even a weekday, people will understand. This pandemic has affected everyone. People will be looking forward to social gatherings and celebrations.

3. A day or date is just that. A day! Your wedding is just a celebration of your love, not the representation of it.

4. Once your day is set, you can work on getting the rest of the details in order so it is best to give this priority over other wedding tasks.

STEP 2: DECIDE ON A BUDGET

Financial planning is key to navigating your wedding journey. It is also important to think of your partner as your co-planner in managing this event. Here are our top considerations for budgeting your wedding.

1.This is a good time to meet with your financial planner to go over your resources so you know exactly what you are working with. We strongly recommend this to all our clients. Knowing your financial status helps guide you on deciding your budget. Not doing so is extremely risky and often ends up in overspending and creates financial burdens in the future. In today's climate of uncharted territory, this step is even more important.

2.This is when having a wedding planner or event planner can be a huge asset. Planners help with keeping you on track with your budgetary goals. After defining your bottom line, its best to get a planner on board right away. Your planner will be the best investment you have made into this wedding.

There are multiple options for planning your wedding online, or getting planning journals to budget and plan your wedding. However none of them can do things like; help you plan on what to do while planning in a pandemic. No journal will have things catered or designed to your specific needs.

A wedding is a significant financial decision for a lot of couples. It is best to go into it with a sound plan and a clear financial picture before getting into contracts and commitments.

STEP 3: DECIDE ON THE DETAILS

Once the main decisions of date and budget are made you can start working on everything else like menu, decor, etc. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning.

1. Now- a -days all reputable vendors work with contracts. Make sure all your contracts have an emergency clause included. With everything that is happening now, it is likely that most businesses will be including them in their contracts. Take time to consider the options being offered to you. This is when having a planner can definitely get you an edge in deciding whether the contract works in your best favor.

2. Research intensely before committing to vendors. Your wedding is a very important day with lots of different variables in play. You want vendors that behave in a fair and professional manner aiming to please their clients. Having a planner again is a huge advantage in this regards. Planners have already worked with a variety of different vendors. This helps them not only discern the better vendors, but also who would be the best fit for your unique needs.

Last but not the least let your heart guide you and keep love as a focus when planning your big day. Despite what’s happening in the world, you have found your partner and happiness. Nothing is more important than that. Enjoy your planning and do reach out to us at sales@inxviii.com for any questions or assistance you might require with your planning.