Hello you lovely lot!

I thought I'd pop a post on here to discuss everything that's going on with coronavirus in the UK right now. I know this is a stressful time for everybody, and that you've been planning your perfect wedding for so long. It's not my job to add to that stress, at all. Instead I'm going to try to help remove some of it, to tell you what you can do to make this less stressful immediately, and to remind you that no matter what happens, you will still get married. It might not be on the date you were hoping for, but it will happen.

What the Geoff is going on?!

I'm assuming that by now you know what Covid-19 is, that it's not just a straightforward normal cough, and that it's a pretty serious illness that's killed thousands of people in just a couple of months. I'm not going to go into the bleak numbers and the horrible bits of news, because you've probably had your fill of that. Instead all I will focus on is the official, current advice, from Boris' mouth to your ears.

The Official Advice

Stay at home.

Don't go to the pub.

Don't go to the theatre.

Don't go to the shops unless you really have to.

Avoid gatherings of any size.

Self isolate for 7 days if symptoms occur, 14 days if you live with someone with symptoms.

How does Coronavirus affect weddings?

Anyone can see quite easily how the above advice all points to weddings being completely off the table for the time being. Yes it’s inconvenient, yes it’s a complete pain in the backside, but what is the alternative? Weddings are social gatherings that can be rearranged for other times, so I’m going to delve into how you can make that decision in a way that minimises stress and added expense. 

At the time of writing (Friday 20th March), the Church of England and most local authorities have restricted wedding ceremonies to just the couple plus two witnesses, leaving no provision for photographers to be there. On top of this, photographers are mostly very uneasy at the thought of attending your wedding at this time, mainly because the following week we’d attend another, and another, and another, and could be very effective conduits for a potentially fatal disease. We do not want this responsibility on our shoulders.

I’m going to ask you now to not just forge ahead with postponements without getting the lay of the land. If you decide to just go for things without checking the availability of your key suppliers, you could be a down a huge amount of money through lost deposits. As a key supplier, I’d much rather keep a booking than keep a deposit, as I’ve fostered lovely relationships with my couples and I can’t wait to shoot their weddings. We are a people industry, and most of us really value the people who invest in us.

If your venue won’t move your date

Sadly, venues often have nothing to do with registrars, so they’re not singing from the same hymn sheet. Sit tight. 

This is a less than ideal situation for us all, and while many venues are happy to move dates for minimal cost, some are imposing bills that run into the thousands. As I’ve mentioned, this situation is changing all the time. Please don’t panic if your venue are not being particularly helpful yet - soon enough this decision might be taken out of their hands. They’d do well to just move the dates at no/minimal cost now and maintain good relationships before they’re forced into action, but there are multiple factors at play here. 

If you wish to postpone but aren’t sure what to do, please keep talking to your suppliers. Be prepared to have your wedding on a weekday if necessary (honestly, no one will be upset at you for having to book a day off work, they’ll just be glad to have an excuse to celebrate). Look after your mental health above all.

If you'd like to talk to me about the options/want to see my calendar/are a venue wanting to have a pop, please email me at hello@carolinegoosey.com.