There’s no doubt that the past few months have been very challenging for all couples looking forward to getting married. There’re so many questions, hesitations, and confusion, but when you get to the bottom of all inquiries, everyone is just really asking one question: “what must we do now?”
During our past episode of B&B TV with wedding coordinator Christine Ong-Te, she discussed vital steps on how couples can get their wedding planning back on track during this difficult time. We listed down some highlights for you here.
If you have no choice but to postpone your wedding date, Christine Ong-Te suggested that it would be best to line up three to four new date options. Once you’ve listed it down, ask your wedding suppliers to indicate which dates they are still available. This will help you see right away which date is workable for you and your wedding team.
One of the gifts of planning your wedding during quarantine is the availability of your suppliers to meet. Since they are not currently working on any events, they will be focused on helping you with your wedding requests. Set an online meeting with your designer, your florist, or your wedding band. Start discussing as much details as you can so that when the quarantine is lifted, you will have less things to iron out and less suppliers to coordinate with. Continue planning your wedding because it will still happen at the right time.
According to Christine Ong-Te, for weddings scheduled in August 2020 and onwards, you can start talking to your suppliers for options but don’t decide on anything yet. It’s difficult to decide on things when we are all still in the unknown. Knowing your options is the proactive thing to do now but hold off on any big decisions if you still have time.
It’s very difficult to make decisions when you don’t know the cards you’re dealt with. None of us know when the quarantine will be lifted and how much it will change the wedding scene, so it’s best to hold off on any big decisions such as cancelling your wedding or cancelling your contract with any wedding supplier until the quarantine is lifted. Only decide when you already know the new protocols set by the government–mass gathering, social distancing, wearing masks–before finalizing your wedding plans.
All of us have been in quarantine for almost two months and one thing that has helped us manage the stress and uncertainty is taking one day at a time. Same goes for soon-to-wed couples. We know that it can get frustrating at times, but trust that all will be well and beautiful again in the right time. Hang in there brides and grooms! Your wedding will still happen no matter what!
Take-Away Tip to Remember:
While many predict that weddings after ECQ will be smaller, wedding planner Christine Ong-Te reminded couples that it doesn’t always follow that when you downsize your guest list, say from 300 to 20 guests, the agreed supplier rate will also go down. Most especially for services like photography and videography, where the number of guests don’t directly affect the output of their work, it is best to confirm and coordinate with your wedding vendors for clarity. The good news is other suppliers whose service rendered will be dependent on the number of guests will definitely adjust their prices to match how big your wedding is.
Watch the full episode of B&B TV with Christine Ong-Te here!