With the current health crisis, social distancing has become the new norm and a majority of 2020 wedding couples have had to make the difficult decision of either postponing their wedding plans or in some cases, cancel the wedding entirely.

Newly engaged couples are also left to determine whether or not wedding planning is even possible given current social distancing conditions. If you are newly engaged, take a deep breath and be open minded to adjust with the new norm which is Virtual Planning. Is it possible to social distance and plan your wedding? The answer is yes! Even in quarantine wedding planning continues.

A big part of wedding planning involves hiring your wedding vendors which typically takes place between 6 to 12 months prior to your wedding date. So how do you social distance and hire your vendors? Here are a few tips….

Review portfolios and vendor testimonials: Start your research online for vendors and narrow down your top-choice vendor categories based on your personal style and wedding vision. To get a feel of the vendor’s personality and work style check out photos of their work via social media or via their website. Also check out reviews of the vendor to see what prior clients think of their services.

Virtual Meetings: While social distancing keeps us sheltered at home, with technology we can still stay connected. Once your vendor choices have been narrowed down, schedule an appointment for a virtual meeting to get a feel of the vendor’s personality and to determine if they are the right fit. Some virtual meeting options are FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts etc. With the gradual re-opening of the economy amid Covid-19, be sure to ask the vendor what measures they have in place of reducing the risk of Covid-19 exposure as some vendor categories will at some point involve an in-person visit as your wedding day approaches. A few examples, include:

Hair & Makeup (if you have to go in for a trial, what cleaning and disinfecting measures your stylist has in place between clients, whether they will be wearing face shields, masks etc)

Bridal Shop: (if you have to go in to try on your dress, what measures the bridal shop has in place to control crowd etc)

Bakery, Caterer: (what tasting options the vendor has in place, for example do they have a pick-up or delivery option etc).

Virtual Tours: Inquire about a virtual tour with your venue. If you don’t feel quite ready to book, ask if they can put a soft hold on your wedding date. Some venues may be open to a soft hold option, others may not. This way, if another client inquires about booking the same date, you get an opportunity from the venue to decide if you want to move forward with booking.

Hire a Wedding Planner: Enlist the help of a planning professional to help select reputable vendors and help review your vendor contracts. This takes away the guess work, lightens your load of having to conduct the vendor research, and ensures you are connected with the best wedding vendor professionals. Talking of Planners, we can certainly help! To chat further, click the button below to contact us.

Until we connect again, stay healthy and safe!