When the pandemic hit, wedding planning suddenly became more complicated than ever. Couples had no choice but to postpone or cancel their planned celebrations leaving many looking to 2021 to tie the knot.
But the pandemic is far from over, and there are still a lot of questions going into the new year - from concerns about dress alterations and venues, to save the date and honeymoon inquiries. There's a lot to think about.
We talked to North Texas wedding planner Jewel Odeyemi to find out how you should handle wedding planning in 2021. She says knowing what questions to ask potential wedding venues is probably one of the most important when it comes to planning a wedding during a pandemic. Knowing what plans they have in place in terms of safety measures and social distancing, and having a clear understanding of their flexibility on dates in case you need to reschedule your wedding.
“A lot of venues, a lot of vendors have changed and updated their contracts since this pandemic. I mean, nobody was ready for it. So now you have venues that maybe have no postponement clauses, they have no cancellation clauses, so just really having clients review those contracts. A lot of venues have allowed a complimentary postponement once or twice, but now businesses are losing revenue,” said Jewel Odeyemi, founder of Touch of Jewel Events and Designs.
Odeyemi says communication with your guests is also key. If you do send out save-the-date cards, be sure to spell things out clearly and be as detailed as possible. Make sure they know all rules and restrictions in place. Also, create a website or a social media page to keep your guest updated with any change in plans, even a change of the wedding date.
It’s important to keep an open mind, be flexible, and have a backup plan.
