I know, I know...you're tired of every. single. business. writing to you to tell you how they are dealing with COVID-19, aka Coronavirus. We are too. So we're not going to spend time bombarding you with all the measures we're taking to keep ourselves safe and healthy, or tell you how frequently we're looking at the CDC's guidelines. What we do want you to know, is we are flexible. In fact, we always have been. It's never been our policy to have a rescheduling fee. Whether it be for your wedding, your family photos, your in-home newborn session, we know life gets in the way sometimes. And so we've built our business around the model that we need to be flexible to serve our clients best. That model hasn't, and will never change.
For wedding clients: we want to help you think this through, so we've put together a few options to consider.
Option 1) Reschedule: If you're thinking about rescheduling, reach out to us as soon as possible so we can start looking at new dates. We have strategically booked fewer weddings in 2020 in order to better serve you, and we're confident we have the means to accommodate a future date for your big day. If you have a wedding coordinator, give them our contact information and we can work with them to make this as easy on you as possible. There will be no increase in photography fees, no rescheduling fees, nothing will change that will impact you financially.
Option 2) Think Intimate: After months of planning, finding all the right vendors, and sending out hundreds of invitations and save the dates, maybe you just don't want to go through it all over again. Or maybe you just don't want to wait any longer to marry your best friend. In that case, maybe a smaller, intimate wedding on that same timeline is right for you. As of writing this post, the CDC is recommending no gatherings occur for 8-weeks with groups larger than 50 people. Think about having a small ceremony with only close friends and family in attendance. Maybe it's not in the church of your dreams, but instead it's in the backyard of your childhood home. You might be surprised at just how amazing a small, intimate wedding can be. Plus, you can always throw a big party with all your friends and family when the dust settles.
Option 3) Elope: When couples think about weddings, they either dream of something really big, something really small, or something in between, and they do just that. Or sometimes, they want one thing, but cave to the pressures of friends and family and throw the party that they want instead. Well folks, now's your chance and you've got one heck of an excuse to explain to your family why it'll just be the two of you, in your favorite setting, along with an officiant and well, us of course. If you're thinking this sounds perfect for you, let us help you plan it. We have the resources to help you rethink this, and can work with you to find the perfect place and time for the two of you to seal the deal.
No matter what route you take, know this: you are not alone. Lean on us. Lean on other vendors. And lean on friends and family to help you make the tough decisions you never thought you'd have to make. We say it every time we meet with our clients for the first time. Things will go wrong on your wedding day. And while no one would have ever predicted this type of scenario, see this as an opportunity to step back and ask yourself what really matters, and why you want to say "I do" in the first place. At the end of the day, you have the rest of your life ahead of you with your best friend in tow, and overcoming this obstacle will be just one of many you'll overcome in your lifetime. You'll tell stories of how your love was challenged before it even began as a married couple, and you'll look back in time laughing as you squeeze the hand of your partner and gaze a loving glance from their eye, knowing you overcame the great COVID-19 challenge of 2020.
And if all else fails, just go grab a beer with a good friend (who isn't sick), and reminisce of the days when Corona was a good thing...this too shall pass.
-Jake and Candi