2020 has been the hardest year for weddings hands down. It breaks my heart how many couples have had to pivot sometimes days prior to their wedding due to state mandates and closures leaving them to make difficult decisions. Do you postpone? Do you elope and have a huge party next year? Do you trim your guest count to the state maximum? What about your deposits, and vendors? Will they have your new date available?
Personally, I run my business with the mindset that I treat my clients the way I’d like to be treated. If my wedding was this year, I know I’d want my vendor to have my back and accommodate us to the best of her ability. In this case, I’ve been super lucky and I’ve been able to keep all of my weddings on my calendar for either this or next year. In one case I had a couple end up choosing a date that I had already been booked for 2 years! So I offered up an Associate Photographer in my place so that in the stress of replanning their entire wedding the last thing they had to think about was finding a new photographer!
I recently shot the engagement session of Chris & Alisha in Downtown Detroit. These two were planning a 2020 wedding in September, but unfortunately, their venue ended up not reopening for the 2020 season, and they opted to postpone until 2021.
As we were shooting their session I asked them some of the questions you find below, for me I can’t imagine trying to plan a wedding during the crazy and ups and downs of what have been this year. So I thought I’d share their thoughts on how it’s impacted the wedding planning process.
Like the journalist I thought I’d be, I like to ask questions cosmopolitan style, so in their own words:
How long have you guys been dating? 3.5 yrs
How did Chris propose? Our original plans for New Years Eve 2020 fell through so we ended up at a local spot for a romantic dinner, just the two of us. Chris popped the question and of course I said YES! We celebrated with champagne and the best creme brulee around.
What has been your favorite part about planning your wedding? Alisha: Definitely visiting with venues. There are so many creative and unique spaces in metro Detroit. For Chris, I’m guessing cake tasting but I’ll let him answer for himself! 🙂 Chris: Too. much. cake. Visiting venues in Traverse City, one of our favorite places, early on in the process.
What tools or resources have been the most beneficial in planning your wedding? Word of mouth and tips from married friends and vendors. I am not shy about asking anyone and everyone for recommendations. Vendors and event planners have worked with so many other event/wedding professionals so I trust their opinions. Also, instagram for inspo!
What has been the biggest challenge planning a wedding during Covid-19? I think this is a challenge even outside of Covid-19, but staying true to what we want for our day. The added difficulty is making sure we can bring that to life in a way that is safe for everyone involved.
What was your favorite thing to do during quarantine? Just spending so much time together! We went on many, many walks together lol. Cooking new meals for each other, and of course – wedding planning!
Has Covid-19 changed your vision for your wedding day? If so what changes did you make? Ironically, it made us want to throw a slightly larger celebration. Our wedding will still be on the smaller side but it feels more important than ever for us to bring together everyone we love, even if it means waiting a little longer until it’s safe to do so.
What advice would you give to other couples going through the same process? Patience and communication, both with your partner and wedding vendors. Talk to your future husband or wife about wedding priorities and shifting visions. What you wanted on day one of planning probably looks a little different now.
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