Planning a wedding is a lot of work! From figuring out what type of wedding you want (rustic barn wedding or Manhattan rooftop celebration?) to sourcing and booking your wedding venue, choosing your wedding party, finalizing your guest list and finding a dress, even under perfect circumstances, planning your NYC wedding is a huge undertaking!
As if that wasn’t enough to make your head spin, now hundreds of New York couples are faced with the difficult decision to postpone or cancel their wedding all together due to the coronavirus outbreak! New Yorkers and people all over the world are being encouraged to avoid large gatherings (i.e weddings) and you have created a challenge that the wedding industry including our NYC wedding photographers have never experienced! So, what should couples planning their NY wedding do during this pandemic? Besides, stay calm (and stay in) there are a few key things couples planning their NYC wedding during the coronavirus epidemic can do..
Below our NYC wedding planners, photographers, and other wedding professionals give insider tips on how to salvage your current wedding plans and/or plan your NYC wedding in the midst of all the craziness!
Move Forward – but with caution..
You’ve probably been planning or at least thinking about your wedding day for a long time! You’ve put ALOT of work into picking your date, choosing your wedding venue and haggling for discounts with your wedding vendors (our affordable wedding packages and discount codes eliminate that headache) and now you may have to reschedule. While having to postpone your wedding is disappointing, if your wedding was planned for April or May 2020, our NYC wedding planners highly recommend pushing your date at least 4-6 weeks out.
Weddings are one of the biggest celebrations in your life and should not be overshadowed by health concerns or canceled guest list due to coronavirus. If your wedding is planned from June 2020 or later most experts agree that weddings after this time are out of the “danger zone”. If you are in the midst of planning and picking a date, be sure to check availability for later in the year. Whatever you decide, be sure to keep abreast of the current recommendations from the experts and take heed!
Contact your wedding vendors
Our inbox is full and our phones are ringing off the hook with inquiries from our couples who planned to get married in the next two months and for couples who are planning their NYC wedding for later in the year and want to know how to proceed. Our photographers and video team have always been committed to working with our couples no matter the circumstance to make sure their big day is perfect! In an effort to ease some of the stress of planning your wedding during the coronavirus, Le Image is waiving all rescheduling fees and working with all our clients to postpone their celebrations for a later date.
Fortunately, our wedding industry partners are taking the same stance! One of our favorite Brooklyn wedding venues, Giando on the Water is working with couples to reschedule their wedding date and offer emotional support during this difficult time…
“At Giando we take pride in being a part of such a wonderful time in our couple’s lives. Family owned and operated, we understand how difficult this time is for our couples that are forced to rescheduled due to health concerns and travel restrictions for their family members. We are working with all our clients to reschedule their wedding celebrations and provide the impeccable service we are known for.. ”
Joe – Giando
Be sure to reach out to all your vendors to find out their policy for rescheduling and available dates.
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Don’t want to wait? – Consider wedding alternatives
For couples who don’t want to wait or decide to consider alternatives, there are options available! Our affordable NYC elopement packages are a great solution for couples who want an intimate wedding ceremony or want to get married right away and plan their reception celebration for later in the year. One of our favorite NYC officiants, Rev Samora of Common Ground Ceremonies has seen a spike in elopements during the coronavirus!
“ Who knew that a Pandemic would happen in the middle of wedding planning? I was scheduled to marry a couple this weekend and they had to postpone their wedding due to the coronavirus. At the last minute, they decided they couldn’t wait another minute more to get married, so up to the roof we went for an impromptu NYC elopement! I have even married couples right in their living room, a home wedding is both intimate and romantic”
Find the silver lining ….
While it may be hard to see the silver lining in planning your wedding during the coronavirus outbreak, now is actually a great time to take full advantage of being stuck in the house by researching and calling potential wedding vendors! Most wedding professionals (including our planners and photographers) are stuck in the house too and would love to chat with you about package options and maybe even offer a discount or two for couples booking their wedding during this time.
Besides being able to sleep in and snuggle with your fiance, taking a moment to slow down is actually good for your mental and emotional health! Wedding planning is stressful and it’s easy to lose focus on what the most important part of your wedding day is; committing your lives to one another. Whether that happens in 3 weeks or 3 months at the beautiful unique Brooklyn wedding venue that you booked or you decide to book our elopement package for an impromptu Central Park wedding ceremony (yes the popular park is still open) the most important part hasn’t and won’t change! You get to marry your best friend.. and we will be there to capture it all (even if it’s 6 feet away) !!!
Stay Safe!
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