planner Archives

How To Plan Your Wedding During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

by Fay Kanellos July 20, 2020July 20, 2020

When asking our Instagram followers what they wanted information on, it was no surprise that a good percentage wanted tips on how to plan their wedding with the uncertainty of the imposed restrictions due to COVID-19.

The tips provided are on the research done. Wedztyle cannot speak on behalf of governments nor can comment on the legalities surrounding consumer entitlements in getting back deposits paid. However, what we can do is offer tips that will help couples in making the decision postpone or re-schedule their special day.

Sit down with your Partner.

You and your partner must be on the same page when deciding if you will postpone, reschedule, or adapt your wedding to the current COVID restrictions. Communication is key as weddings without such circumstances are already very stressful.

Communication with Vendors

Communicating with chosen vendors is essential for a couple of reasons. Firstly, you need to inform them of your intent – are you postponing, rescheduling, or going ahead. Secondly, you need to have the confidence that they will be operational in the foreseeable future. Understandably, we do not have a crystal ball on this, but it needs to be a consideration.

Negotiating with your vendors

Firstly, go over the terms and conditions of each vendor. Focus on the these and adjust conditions to suit both parties. Businesses have been affected by COVID; therefore, most will work with wedding couples to keep the business. For those vendors who are willing to consult and work with you, give them options of dates. Confirm all discussions in writing to protect yourselves should you need to. Vendors who are unwilling to be flexible, shop around. These are not for you.

Back – Up Choice of Vendors

Suppose the preferred vendor is not available on your date, now what? To prevent this scenario, I suggest that you have three to five vendors as a back-up. Before committing, read their terms and conditions. All negotiations need to be in writing. Please do not give any deposits unless written confirmation of a refund is applicable.

Contact your guests.

Notify all guests of the change in your wedding date. You can say words like “WE HAVE POSTPONED OUR WEDDING DATE, NEW DATE COMING SOON,’ or “WE ARE RESCHEDULING OUR WEDDING, NEW DATE COMING SOON”. Communicate this very clearly. Whether you have created a Facebook Event, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or a Wedding Website, your guests need to know in advance of a pending new date.

Budget

With businesses not fully operational, consider changing your budget to reflect the financial strain that COVID-19 is bringing. For example, reducing your budget by 10% will force wedding couples to minimise unnecessary expenditure. You are using that 10% saving later for something else like an extended honeymoon.

Contingency Plan

These times are unpredictable. The number of allowable guests’ changes depending on the current infection rate. Wedding couples need to be adaptable; therefore, having a contingency plan is advisable. It could be that the wedding only has immediate family attending but captured on a digital platform for your pending guests to view. Or your wedding can be live-streamed, so your guests do not miss those moments. Various scenarios can come to play.

Whatever the scenario is for wedding couples, you can still have your wedding. It might not be in a traditional format (i.e. guests attending), but it will always be your day. Plan your wedding as you would with a contingency plan in mind. The Wedztyle e-planner will be a valuable resource in these COVID-19 times.

Main Image Mari Lezhava Unsplash

Wedding Insurance is it worth it?

by Fay Kanellos June 18, 2020June 18, 2020

Researching for this blog, I wanted to gain an understanding of wedding insurance. What are companies offering and if it is, in fact, worth it for couples? The recent COVID19 outbreak has meant postponing or cancelling upcoming weddings, resulting in couples losing deposits and payments across various vendors because the COVID19 virus is uninsurable.

This leaves us to wonder, how can we be covered if the unexpected were to happen?

The average cost of a wedding in the UK 31,974 pounds, $33,391 in the USA and $36,000 in Australia; therefore, more couples are considering wedding insurance to protect them against any unforeseeable mishaps financially.

The type of cover offered.

Like all insurance policies, various level of cover is offered depending on the cost of the wedding. In Australia, prices can range from $200 standard cover to $1300 for premium. Most insurance covers the total budget of your wedding e.g. if your wedding budget is $8000.00, purchase the one that will cover that amount.

Standard cover – approx. $200-250 for total budget cover between $5,000-$8,000
Intermediate – approx. $400-$900 for total budget cover between $16,000 – $35,000
Premium – approx. $1100-$1300 for total budget cover between $75,000+

Premiums are higher for destination weddings. I recommend that you purchase insurance with companies that specialise in destination weddings rather than local weddings to get the most coverage.

The type of cover chosen should be in line with the size of the wedding and the costs associated. Compare policies to make sure you are covered accordingly.

The policy should begin 30 days after purchase, with a 14-day cooling-off period.

What your insurance needs to cover:

When deciding on the type of cover, my recommendation is to ensure the following is included:

Wedding deposits and pre-payments – when you need to cancel, reschedule or postpone your wedding due to specific events
Protection against vendors and supplier breakdown
Marquee and equipment damage
Wedding rings – although these can be insured under your home and contents
Wedding gifts – what is the minimum and maximum value that can be insured
Wedding attire
Wedding transportation
Illness, death
Extreme weather – storms, tornados
Personal Liability – if your guests cause personal injury to a third party or damage to their property.
Destination weddings – what is covered and what countries are covered.
When the claim begins – this is usually 30 days after you purchase the cover and what the recommended period of cover is
What the coverage extends to – family members as they can also contribute to the wedding
Any value-added services that you will need for your wedding
Number of guests that are covered in the policy should an accident occurs
Type of venue, as some venues require you to have insurance before you book with them.
Overseas cover including medical emergency and hospital

What you are not covered for:

Cancellation due to weather that is not extreme
Change of heart
Switching vendors after a deposit were paid
Claims outside your country – I recommend looking at insurance companies that specialize in Destination Weddings
Any issues relating to travel bans, flight cancellations, government acts, regulations and bans on public gatherings
Pandemics such as COVID19

Before you purchase:

Speak to your vendors and see what they offer via their insurance company, especially for the venue, caters, and wedding planners. Always read the fine print on their contracts. Do not sign if you are uncomfortable with their terms. It has to work for you.

Look at your home insurance, as you can be covered on certain aspects of your wedding e.g. wedding rings, travel insurance, etc… This way you can determine what type of cover you can purchase.

Consider which plan best suits your wedding needs. Do not purchase a policy based on price. Focus on what is and is not covered.

Read the terms and conditions of each insurance company and most importantly do your research.

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Wedding Checklists – A Go-To Tool for Planning the Perfect Day

by Fay Kanellos June 5, 2020June 5, 2020

Once the excitement of the engagement slowly wears off, couples now are tasked in organising their wedding. Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, leading the couple to go onto the internet, search for ideas, and a generic ‘to-do’-list. This general list is most likely unrelated to their type of wedding and leaves the couple more confused.

Why a Wedding Checklist?

A wedding checklist is a planning tool that assists couples in being able to track the planning process and not miss any vital steps.

The use of a checklist provides a systematic approach to complete the required tasks. Referred to as a ‘to-do list’ or ‘schedule’; checklists give a timeline of the wedding events. For example, when booking a vendor, various points of communication have to occur, such as date, location, style, payment schedule. Having a record through a checklist means you do not miss anything.

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How to Utilise a Wedding Checklist?

A thorough wedding checklist saves couples time and money as it allows them to focus on the task at hand, not missing a thing. The average wedding takes 18-12 months to plan. The checklist makes the planning process manageable, giving it structure while removing the stress. Couples should enjoy planning their day. It is part of getting married.

As tempting as it might be, using a generic wedding checklist that comes off the internet, will not save time and costs. Firstly, all weddings are different. Each couple brings their uniqueness and requires a detailed wedding checklist. The checklist should be broken into these months:

• 18-12 months before the wedding day

• 9 months before the wedding day

• 6-4 months before the wedding day

• 3 months before the wedding day

• 2 months before the wedding day

• 1 month before the wedding day

• 2 weeks before the wedding day

• 1 week before the wedding day

• The day before the wedding day

Having different monthly sections of the wedding checklist allows you to complete each task for that month ensuring your wedding is on track and to budget.