CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Spring is a huge time for weddings and now, forced cancellations due to the coronavirus may start to impact anyone planning to get married as far out as 2021.
Brides and grooms often spend months on end planning their dream wedding, and day by day couples across the state are having to make a decision to postpone or cancel them.
“We’ve had to reschedule over 25 weddings,” said wedding planner Vanessa Huaman, owner of Bridal Affairs. “To hear brides who are so excited and they’re like weeks away from their wedding, we planned everything from A to Z, it’s so heartbreaking,” Huaman says some clients have ditched the wedding completely.
“A lot of our clients are eloping just so they can hold on to that date,” Huaman said.
Huaman says others are trying to reschedule into the similarly crowded fall season.
“A lot of my clients are doing Friday weddings and Sunday weddings,” Huaman said. “I even have a Tuesday or Wednesday wedding because there’s so much limited dates in the fall.
”Huaman says that means for couples who haven’t narrowed anything down yet, this year may be out of the question.
“It’s almost like everybody is double-booked for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday weddings, so it would be difficult to try to get married this year unless they use their family property,” Huaman said.
Huaman said even for weddings desired for next spring, couples should get a move on it.
“We’re pretty much completely booked for at least Saturday weddings in May of 2021 because we had some already booked, but had a few reschedule into May,” Huaman said.
Huaman says there are some aspects of wedding planning you can still do while social distancing.
“We can start talking about theme and colors and picking out the bridal gown and the bridesmaid dresses and start looking at vendors they may be interested in,” Huaman said.
Although putting money down may seem scary with the uncertainty, Huaman says it could be necessary.
“[The] problem if you do wait too long, the vendors that you want are not going to be available,” Huaman said. “Be open to ask the vendors and venue what is your policy, what happens if the coronavirus is still going on, am I going to lose my money?”
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