The Sunshine Blog

When I heard about the outbreak of the novel coronavirus also called COVID-19 in China, I was a bit worried because of my friends who live there. At the time, I never thought it would quickly become a pandemic that would affect everyone especially events and weddings. So, with the recent rise of the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the national governments issuing social distancing all over the world, there has arisen a lot of panic in every industry but most especially in the event industry.

I’m sure a lot of you are confused about what to do about your wedding. I want to assure you that postponing your wedding celebrations is the best option for you at this time. Every vendor in the event industry is making sure they do their best to make this a stress-free period for you and you guests. Many are also are willing to move your dates without any penalties. This is the time for you to reach out to your event planners, designers, and vendors to help you navigate this difficult season.

I have had a few weeks to take everything in and sieve through all the information being shared and I have a few tips that can help you in navigating this period and remaining sane while postponing your events and planning your wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Practice physical distancing not social distancing! Use this time to relax, self-evaluate, and reflect on your 2020 goals so far. Connect with family and friends. It is also the time to hit the pause button and re-evaluate your relationships. Take time to start new hobbies, learn new recipes, or join new challenges on your social media app of choice. Tik-Tok challenges are especially fun! During this time, I would strongly advise you to get ready for the next chapter of your life – married life. You can do this by starting you pre-marital counseling (over video conference, of course), asking deeper questions from your partner and yourself, and making sure you are getting married for the right reasons.

Communicate! It’s important to discuss with your fiancé/fiancée, families, and all your vendors. This is the time to be vulnerable and express your thoughts. It is important to start discussing your options early so you can keep your guests updated. Also seek the counsel of a professional. Don’t lose hope or the twinkle in your eyes because there are a lot of options available to you. Be flexible and open. These past few weeks, I have come up with quite a number of solutions for my clients and I have seen a lot of my creative colleagues do the same for their clients. So be patient with your families, your partners, and your vendors, and most importantly, trust them to get your through this season.

Hire or Consult a Professional! Not knowing what to do can be very overwhelming, but I can assure you that everyone in the event industry is looking out to protect and guild all of our clients during this season. Most event vendors have come together with plans and systems in place to make sure each of our clients have the celebration of their dreams once all this is over. You are definitely in good hands. I understand that some of you don’t have a wedding planner and are confused on how to go ahead with all that is going on. Now would be the time to reach out to experienced event planners and vendors in your city to guide you on the next steps to take. There are a lot of missing parts which a planner can handle for you. They have all the resources you need to get through this period, so trust us, we are here for you!

Keep up with Your Health, Skincare, and Fitness Goals! Being at home 24/7 for the next few weeks may be a daunting reality. It may be a challenge to keep up with your regular health routines with gyms, spas, etc. closed for the foreseeable future. Personally, it’s been a struggle to keep up with my food prep and exercises routine. My advice is, don’t be afraid and take it one day at a time. You can start with doing one push-up, applying one facial mask, or drinking 1 gallon of water a day. Try to develop a daily routine for yourself but remember to give yourself grace. Also, this is the period to prioritise your mental health. Take a break from things that can cause anxiety, talk to someone about how you feel. Most therapists are having sessions virtually and are taking new clients during this season.

Keep Planning! This isn’t the time to stop planning. Vendors are working from home and can continue working with you. They can customise ways to meet your planning needs. Trust that your team of wedding professionals have your best interest at heart and are looking out for you. Now is the time to finish your wedding planning to do list.

You are Engaged! Congratulations! I’m pretty sure you have a lot of mixed feelings on whether this is the time to be planning a wedding. First and foremost, those feelings are valid, but there are also lots of benefits to beginning your planning now. Some of the benefits are:

Getting Your Preferred Dates and Vendors! A lot of couples have had to postpone their wedding celebrations to later this year and even 2021, which means that there will be limited dates available. Event venues and other vendors are booking up fast and even into 2022 because of the recent rise in event postponements. Now is the time to secure your date.

Something to Brighten This Season! With all that is going on in the world and with most of us being at home all day, it would be nice to have something beautiful and exciting to look forward to.

In conclusion, although this is a difficult season to navigate, it is important to remain calm, hopeful, and safe. If you are planning an event during the COVID-19 pandemic and need some help, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We are all in this together, so do not think you are alone.

Stay safe!

Love,

Sunshine Events Planner