Corona virus and the wedding industry right now…

One of my faves from South Farm last year

Rubbish isn’t it? What a year! What a time. Can’t see friends, can’t see family, everyone at the end of tech for sanity to keep ourselves connected, seeing the outside for only short periods…..and that’s only if you are observing the guidelines! I really, really hope you are…… Coronavirus has really affected the wedding industry, none of it for good.

Yes, the wedding industry is only one of the industries that has been really, really hit by the corona virus. And I get that many would argue it’s non-essential and on the whole, they are right. But getting married is one of the biggest things you will do in your life and many, many couples have had their day thwarted by this madness we are all going through at the moment.

And my heart goes out to them. It really, really does.

My whole ethos is to have a good time with my couples, to be there on their big day and capture all the love and happiness and give them the memories beyond the wedding. And now not only can the couples not do that, neither can I. And I am gutted by it. I love my job. And now I can’t do it.

How has that affected me? Well, I wasn’t tested, but isolated due to me suspecting to have had a mild case of the corona virus. Then work also completely dropped off overnight. Money just disappeared. Mentally, that’s hard to get your head around. It’s been tough, I won’t lie.

But corona virus has affected EVERYONE in the wedding industry. From couples all the way through the venues themselves. And it’s been one big chain of events where we have no idea what will happen, when we can work again, when couples can get married again. We are at the mercy of the virus, we are at the mercy of the venues, we are at the mercy of dates being filled with postponements, reschedules and cancellations. We are at the mercy of so many things that are out of our hands. From the top to the bottom, it’s affecting the whole chain.

Let’s just say things could be better.

But we have to see the positive. We have to otherwise we would go mad!

How I hear you ask?

Well, as a photographer, my priority from the very start was my couples. I have been working overtime keeping in touch with couples, trying to see if we can reschedule to dates that are mutually agreeable to couples, venues and other suppliers so the couple can have the best day they can have in the circumstances. I am not letting the corona virus stop me from caring about my couples and making sure I can do the best for them.

But there are so many factors. We have a knock on effect with how this will play out with new dates. Venues only have so many dates and filling them with rescheduled dates then stops them from taking bookings on new weddings, meaning their income will be down. Big and popular venues like South Farm, Bassmead Manor Barns, Granary Estates, Anstey Hall and their likes are counter intuitively be the ones affected the most as they are booked almost all year round so how will they fill the rearranged dates?

Then suppliers will be doing the same. We all have to do the same to accommodate our couples and if you are a busy supplier, you either accommodate the couples or you work twice as hard for half the money. Busy florists like Flowers by Suzanne and Feather and Ferns have to ramp things up for supplies, which will be in the hands of their own suppliers who will also have been affected by the corona virus issues. Cake makers like One Part Love, Honeyshed Bakery and Meadowsweet Cakes will be likely to be overwhelmed with the volume of cakes they will have to make for deadlines they didn’t expect.

Make up artists like Cambridge Makeup Artist, Dani Rose Makeup, Flash Kate or hair stylists like Barbarella Bridal or Kate Atalay Bespoke Hairstyling will be playing catch up on trials and fitting in all those appointments they missed then accommodating new dates as well….

The list goes on. One big chain effect where every single one of us is affected by it all.

But I guarantee you this. EVERY SINGLE ONE of these wedding suppliers will be doing the same thing. And that’s making sure their couples, brides, fellow suppliers are looked after to the best of their abilities. Every one of them. Because without exception, I haven’t met anyone in the industry who doesn’t LOVE their job. Not one. Their business is their baby, their labour of love. And that business is nothing without the couples. Nothing.

Corona virus has made every single one of us take stock. It’s made us re-evaluate our business, what is important to us, what we need to do to improve or change. And every bit of it is to keep our couples as happy, comfortable and as unstressed as possible.

So, yes, this is a rubbish time right now. We are all feeling it. But be nice to your suppliers. They are feeling it too. But I promise you every single one of them is working their hardest to make sure the right things happen….for you.

The wedding industry won’t collapse because of this corona virus. It will be hurt for a little while. But it will bounce back, bigger, better, stronger for it. And you will be getting married with a bunch of suppliers who have a renewed enthusiasm for what they do because they know how close they come to having it taken away.

You’re in good hands. I promise. Hang in there. Your wedding is going to happen. And when it does, it will be the best day of your life!!!