I first want to say, I am here for you, I have had enough of this terrible virus too, and it is ok to feel the way you feel. It’s ok to feel upset, it’s ok to feel sad, or just plain old want to punch this shit in the face right now. You have ever right to feel this way, but it’s choosing not to stay there that is important. So after reaching out to my clients to let them know I am here for them; I want to also be here for all helping guide with some quick key points in planning your wedding through COVID.

COMMUNICATION:

Communicate with your immediate family and bridal party to hear their thoughts and feelings overall. If your wedding planner hasn’t already reached out to you, reach out to your planner to talk through your options for a Plan B and C. They will then help guide you through talking to each of your vendors on these plans and how to proceed. I recommend even holding a Zoom, FaceTime video, or Google chat to feel even more connected.

HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER:

I of course am a little biased, but if you don’t already have a wedding planner, hire one. If any time to utilize a portion of your budget it’s now. As mentioned above they can help you through your options, if you need to move your date and how that works within contracts, your vendors, and more. If you are newly engaged and planning your wedding this is the time to have guidance by your side no matter what your wedding date is.

CONTINUE BOOKING YOUR VENDORS:

If you are planning a wedding for 2021 many couples have said to me, “oh we have time to book our vendors for next year, right?”, the answer at this time is No. I say this because many couples with original dates in March, April, or May this year have rescheduled their weddings to next year. Or even engaged couples originally looking to get married in ate 2020, with no venue booked, have now considered 2021 for their wedding. What this means is many of those wanted vendors, vendors that can only book 1 wedding per day, are having their calendars booking up quicker than normal. So if there is a vendor you have always wanted to book, don’t hesitate.

WEDDING INSURANCE:

I have had many ask, should we still have wedding insurance and if so what does it even cover? I do still recommend my couples to add liability and cancellation policies for their wedding date. Unfortunately, many insurance companies are not currently offering new cancellation policies due to COVID. I would recommend reading this article from WedSafe for more information on COVID and cancellation policies HERE. You can reach out to your own insurance policy for your home and see if they can add on these policies, I also recommend WEDSAFE or WEDSURE. I do at minimum always recommend liability insurance. Wedding Cancellation policies are also due to weather. For example, for my couples getting married in North Carolina I always recommend if they are getting married during hurricane season to add on this policy.

NEXT STEPS:

I would recommend to continue to check with the current government, state and county mandates first and foremost.

Here’s what’s happening now in North Carolina:

North Carolina will be closed until at least May 8, state officials said, as they laid out what’s required for moving toward re-opening the state.

Governor Roy Cooper shared a three-phase plan for lifting restrictions on the stay-at-home order while continuing to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The timeline for the phases depend on hitting certain benchmarks and could move backward.

The first phase will allow more reasons to leave home, with social distancing. People could shop inside businesses “such as clothing stores, sporting goods stores, book shops and other kinds of retailers.” Gatherings would be restricted to 10 people or less. After a minimum of 2-3 weeks, if the state sees the progress outlined in its benchmarks, the state could move to phase two.

The second phase would lift the stay at home order and permit restaurants and bars to open at reduced capacity. Churches and other houses of faith would be permitted to open, also at limited numbers. Playgrounds would open. Vulnerable populations would be encouraged to continue to stay at home. The second phase would be for a minimum of 4-6 weeks.

The third phase would increase capacity for restaurants, bars, worship services and mass gatherings.

What progress do N.C. state officials need to see to ease restrictions?

State officials will look at cases over a two-week period, and specifically: “COVID-like syndromic cases,” lab-confirmed cases, positive tests as a percentage of total tests and hospitalizations. The testing and tracing capacity will also be key, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said. Officials will look at tests completed per day, whether or not there’s capacity for widespread tracing of cases, and the supply of personal protective equipment.

Where we are now:

To move to the first phase of re-opening the state, Dr. Cohen said officials want to see:

• A continued decrease of “COVID-like syndromic cases” over the 14-day period,
• a decreased or “sustained leveling” of number of cases,
• a decreasing number of percentage of positive tests and decreased or sustained leveling of hospitalizations.

Testing would need to reach 5,000-7,000 per day, tracing resources would need to reach about 500 people and PPE should reach a 30-day supply.

Also during the press conference, Gov. Cooper said that state education officials will make an announcement Friday afternoon on whether or not students will return to school in person this school year. Meanwhile, Wake County’s stay-at-home order would end Thursday (April 30) if it’s not extended. Some mayors in the county favor less restrictive rules on gatherings, mirroring the state in allowing 10 or fewer people to gather. The current restriction doesn’t allow people to gather with others who live outside their home.

If you have any additional questions I am here to help, please do not hesitate to reach out. We will be back celebrating and when we do we know it’s going to be one heck of a party!