Over the last few months coronavirus or COVID-19 seems to be all anyone could talk about. But wedding planning has still been happening, whether it’s for a wedding that has had to be postponed or for a date a few years from now. We’ve been paying close attention, and today we wanted to talk to you about how coronavirus has affected wedding planning in both a positive and negative way.
Supply Chain
The biggest change we’ve noticed is the supply chain. A wedding is non-essential, so all the suppliers have closed their doors. This hasn’t been such a big issue with items such as stationary (these can be posted), but when it comes to the wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, suits and rings this has been a bigger issue.
Some couples are in the position where their outfits aren’t going to arrive until a week before their wedding. That’s not a lot of time to schedule fittings or alterations. However, wedding boutiques are making sure everything is in place to prevent any disasters.
For the couples planning in advance, particularly 2021 weddings, this is also a problem. The normal advice is to start looking for a wedding dress around 12 months before your date. Again, bridal boutiques are doing their best to show you what they have on offer, but there’s only so much you can do without trying things on. Some places are taking bookings now for when they reopen, but these are getting snapped up fast. Everyone is planning in advance, which is positive for business but difficult for future couples.
E-Invites
Ever since coronavirus started affecting wedding plans e-invites (and un-invites) have become more popular. Sending and receiving post has become more complicated, so emails and wedding websites have taken the lead.
Couples have designed their own invitations to be delivered directly to their guests’ inbox (or hired a graphic designer to do it for them). Not only is this much cheaper than sending traditional invites, but it’s faster and more environmentally friendly too.
Creative Date Changes
Here’s another one we love. Couples who have postponed their wedding usually have everything they needed ready to go. This includes favours, signs and decorations with the date of their original wedding day on them. Rather than scrapping the whole thing, people have gotten creative to change the original date to the new one.
Getting stickers printed is one of the simplest we’ve seen, with the most intricate involving ribbons and calligraphy!
Online Wedding Fayre
Wedding suppliers have felt the changes just as much as engaged couples. Online or virtual wedding fayres have popped up all over social media, and they have been incredibly well received by everyone.
They’re a great way to talk to suppliers and get the information you need from them without having to leave your sofa (or get dressed!). From the virtual fayres you can make appointments with suppliers to see their products and services first hand without spending time with anything you already have organised. Hopefully this style of wedding event will stay for the long term.
Virtual Weddings
We wanted to finish with virtual weddings. It’s not exactly wedding planning related, but it has been amazing, and one of the biggest ways that coronavirus has affected wedding planning. Couples around the world have marked their original wedding date by putting on their wedding attire, video calling their family and friends, having a mini, non-legal service and enjoying their day. It’s been lovely to see, and a great way to speak to all your friends and family in one day.
If you’d like to speak to us about your wedding plans, Get In Touch or take a look at our Wedding Photography Page for all our packages and prices.