I want you all to know that I have been thinking of all of you during this time. It is vitally important that you all are staying healthy and keeping your loved ones safe.

I’ve taken a few days to wrap my head around our current COVID-19 situation and my place in all of it. I know you are thinking about your upcoming wedding and your plan of action. We are in uncharted territory and I hope you will move with me as I am figuring all of this out. Please know that I am happy to continue forward as usual and am committed to photographing your event if you choose to keep your original plans.

It is my goal to start a conversation with you and have a plan of action set up with each and every one of you. Please read through some of the points listed below:

Should I postpone or cancel my wedding?

The CDC advises that gatherings and events be 10 people or less for the next 15 days. If your wedding includes more than 10 guests and takes place in April or May, I highly recommend postponing or rescheduling your wedding to a later date due to the fact we do not know how long this will last. 

Venues, caterers, florists, bands, wedding planners, photographers, videographers, and other wedding industry professionals are going to do whatever they can to work with you and find a date that works for the rest of your wedding vendors. We want to meet you with love and understanding and we hope that you do not cancel on us. For most of us, this is our livelihood, this is how we pay our bills, feed our families, and how we are going to survive during a time of uncertainty. 

If your wedding is planned June through August please keep a close eye on how things progress and check in with all your wedding professionals to get a conversation started about what will happen if you can’t have your wedding planned on your original date due to COVID-19.

If you are deciding to postpone to a later date in September or October, I recommend choosing a weekday or a Sunday. September and October are some of the busiest months in the wedding industry and popular dates may have already been booked. A Tuesday wedding might be the cool new trend during all of this. 

How do I postpone my wedding?

You may have already sent out your wedding invitations and that’s okay. If you do not have the means to have new invitations made and resent to your guests, think about a phone call or an informal handwritten letter or note. Something so personal would be a really lovely way to touch base with your loved ones and let them know that you care about them and their health and that you will be changing the date of your wedding. I know this sounds like it will take a lot of time, but since most of us are self-quarantining at home, this can be a great way to take your mind off of everything that is going on and connect with the people you care about. They would more than likely love to hear your voice or get a letter from you. 

If you haven’t sent out your invitations yet, include a note inside that the date might have to change due to COVID-19. I believe it would be best to let your guests know sooner rather than later that you may have a major change in your wedding. 

Contact your wedding industry professionals and get the conversation Let’s try and find a date that works for everyone. 

Can I get my deposit back?

After speaking with many wedding professionals in the industry I have decided that all money paid can be moved to a new date if you choose to reschedule or postpone your wedding with me. I will be waiving all fees to move and reschedule for a new date. 

We require deposits in the wedding industry because the people you are hiring for your wedding have done a solid amount of work on the back end and have invested a lot of time with each booking we receive. Your team of wedding professionals are predominantly small businesses that hire people behind the scenes to work for them.  Everyone involved has declined other work as a result of being booked. These deposits and funds are used to keep us and the people we hire all afloat. 

If the show must go on:

I realize that for some of you, you are not going to let COVID-19 stop your wedding from happening, especially if it is a small intimate event, or you are planning on eloping with just the two of you and an officiant. If you are having a small event with just family members it is important that you avoid having your loved ones that are at high risk attend. I know this will be heartbreaking for most of you. Consider hiring a videographer to document your wedding so you can share your special day with your high-risk family members. We highly recommend our friends over at Peak of the Mountain Productions and Anchor Heart Films .

If you cannot hire a video professional I am offering to set up an extra camera on a tripod during your ceremony, toasts, and first dance. This service will be a gift from me to you. The video you receive will not compare to the professional video skills of a videographer as we, as photographers, do not have the same videography experience or time in the field, but we want you to be able to share the moment with the people who could not attend. 

Make sure to have a conversation with your guests about handwashing and interpersonal touch. Have sand sanitizer available for everyone. And lastly, skip hugs and handshakes. 

If you had planned to have a large wedding consider switching to a more intimate wedding day and having fewer people attend your wedding. Once all of this passes you can plan a large celebration with everyone else. 

My wish for you:

You are all in my thoughts and I hope we can come to an agreement that makes all parties happy. I’m on your side and here to help and guide you, please come to me with anything. 

I hope you all are staying home to stay healthy. It is important that we all are self-quartining to prevent this from spreading any faster and further keeping us in this state for a longer period of time. Be sure to check in with the people you care about and make sure they are also staying home and keeping their mental health a priority. Remember, this state can be a problematic breeding ground of issues for people who have mental health disorders. Let’s all stay connected and share our love and light as best we can with the tools we have.

Take time for yourself, read, relax, do yoga, take a bath, make art, play music, cook intensive meals together, learn something new, and keep in touch with your loved ones. 

I love you all and I appreciate you so damn much.

Xoxo,

Briana