Writing this post has been on my mind for some time. As a vendor and COVID bride this year, I have experienced all aspects and challenges the pandemic has thrown our way.
Our once booming industry built on celebrations big and small has taken one of the largest hits during the pandemic. I have estimates from other vendors that their income has decreased by upwards of 70% this year. Yes, 70%! I want to talk about what the means for us and how we have been treading these waters. A friendly reminder, the below information is what I have experienced and how I have been operating and managing my business. I cannot speak for others, but do feel confident saying many of my friendors (friends who are vendors, for those who don’t know the term!) are operating very similarly.
So, the million dollar question:
“HOW IN THE HELL DO WE NAVIGATE THIS?!” How do we balance being a business owner and being understanding at the same time? For me, it has felt like a never-ending marathon of date changes, postponements, downsizing, contract revisions, venue changes, location changes, 250 person weddings turning in to 25 person weddings, deposits transfers, second date changes, cancellations, income loss, tears, exhaustion,…. the list goes on.
postponements / date changes
With state mandates in place, many of my 2020 couples made the call to move to 2021. I have been offering one date change without fee. Second date changes incur a fee. Why a fee, you may ask? When we book a wedding, we turn down other potential business for that day. So, if a couple booked May 12, 2020 and then changed to September 18th, 2020 and then finally made the call to move to August 3, 2021. That is three dates taken from our event calendar.
I know you’re thinking, well how much is this fee? For me, anywhere from $250 - $500 depending on event scope.
This fee not only covers the new date change, but also potential increases in supply and floral costs for the next year.
Which brings me to my next topic…… deposits.
security deposits & date reservation fees
Deposits and date reservation fees are non-refundable, if your contract says otherwise, change it. Deposits are non-refundable in normal times for many reasons, these reservation fees and deposits ensure the success of our business, secure your date, and cover front end business expenses.
Let’s go back to 2017, COVID wasn’t a factor, and you booked your wedding for Saturday July 18 (prime wedding season) and you cancel. It is 100% likely we turned down other business for your day. My largest budget (ever) cancelled their wedding 30 days before and wanted their deposit back. Did I feel bad for them? Absolutely! My heart broke for them but at the end of the day, I turned down other weddings totaling over $15,000 of income for their date. So not only did I lose out on their remaining balance owed, I had to refigure finances for the remainder of the year.
Flash forward to 2020, your deposit is still non-refundable. Is COVID out of our control? It is, however there are options — postponing without fees, downsizing to meet guidelines, pivoting from a large-scale wedding to a micro wedding or eloping/having your ceremony and postponing the reception.
I think being fully transparent about what deposits cover is probably my most important point. Deposits (for me) do not cover flowers and supplies; those are covered in your second payment along with additional labor and taxes. So, let’s break down the deposit and what it covers:
Secures Our Services for Your Date
Monthly Washington State Taxes
Quarterly Federal Estimated Taxes
Admin Labor — writing your proposal, designing a vision board, emails, revisions, contracts, phone calls, meetings, rewriting your contract after a date change, etc.
Overhead Business Expenses
At this point you are probably bored of out your mind, but let’s keep at it……
cancellations
Very few of my 2020 couples made the decision to cancel outright. Most moved to 2021, had a small ceremony this year and are planning for a reception next year, or downsized and went forward abiding by local and state regulations.
Any cancellation, (for me) will forfeit your deposit. I have stood by this all year and will continue to do so insuring my business success for years to come.
my covid wedding
We were married October 24th in my parent’s backyard. We had 30 guests + vendors and abided by all Washington State guidelines, in addition to asking all of our guests to social distance and get tested prior to attending. I am happy to report, not one guest contracted COVID.
I want to talk about what we went through to get to our wedding. We reduced our guest list by 170, lost a deposit on our ceremony venue, moved our reception venue to 2021 for a party, changed locations to my parent’s house, revised rentals - adding in a tent and farm tables for spacing, upgraded our catering, had a photographer change, created a rain plan for ceremony, set up a livestream (insert plug for eventlive)….. just to name a few things!
Here’s the good news….. our intimate wedding was hands down the best day ever. Looking back, I would not have enjoyed a 200 person wedding. With our smaller guest count, we were able to have quality face time with all of our guests and truly experience the day with them. Stay tuned for a blog post about our wedding and all of our amazing vendors!
what’s next?
I know 2021 is not looking great for large weddings and gatherings at the moment. I want to encourage all couples to think about what is most important to them. For us, it was our ceremony and being surrounded by our closest loved ones. There are positives to having a smaller guest count — you get to go all out on details (yay!), lots of flowers, pretty linens, specialty chairs, meaningful favors, bomb food, etc. so before you throw the towel in, think about smaller wedding.
For my friendors, hang in there! We will come out the other side of this. I am AMAZED at the creativity and resilience of small business owners. Shop small y’all, especially this season!
I think that about sums it up. Thank you for coming to my TED talk! But in all seriousness, I hope this post does offer advice and transparency for anyone who reads it. At the end of the day, openness and consistency in our industry is a win win for everyone involved. Sending good vibes and health to everyone!
XO
Carlee
P.s….
Wear a mask, wash your hands, and most of all, BE KIND!!!
