LATEST FROM THE GOVERNMENT:
16/6/20 - Still no news on weddings to take place by the Government despite rumours of a potential restart from 15th June.
Northern Ireland has allowed outdoor weddings of up to 10 people but there is still no news for the rest of the UK. 'Small weddings' were included in the governments' second phase of reopening the country announced on the 11th of May 2020. This included the reopening of bridal stores and other non-essential retailers like florists and menswear stores on the 15th of June. With no new mention of weddings, we may be waiting until the government move the country into phase 3. Dominic Raab assured us at the Downing Street briefing on Monday 15th of June that this would be no sooner than the 4th of July.
Previous measures:
Restaurants, Theatres, Pubs, Cafes and Night Clubs closed from 20th March 2020.
Along with business focused grants and loans, the government have this evening announced the closure of many hospitality and entertainment venues. This will most certainly affect many couples, wedding venues and suppliers across the country. While this is obviously going to cause businesses financial issue, the Chancellor revealed a glimmer of hope. Rishi Sunak followed this announcement by stating that the government will be deferring taxes and abolishing business rates for the hospitality sector. Home delivery services will remain unaffected. Alongside this, many small businesses will also receive grants to cover up to 80% of employee wages up to £2500. There wasn't very much clarity on what will happen for those employees who are on zero hour contracts.
Sole traders such as photographers, florists and other relevant wedding suppliers, will also be eligible for the statutory sick pay and can apply for universal credit where they may need further financial support.
Watch the full announcement on the BBC website.
Should you encourage your couples to postpone their wedding?
If their wedding is in the next 3 weeks, this is the only option. For weddings in March to June 2020 it is very strongly advised to reduce any possible liability. It is likely that neither your business insurance NOR the couples' wedding insurance will cover Coronavirus, postponing has to be the only sensible option to reduce liability for both parties.
Postponing if the couple is insured
Most wedding insurance policies will not cover the costs if the couple choose to postpone. Just as with travel insurance, the cancellation and postponement clauses only come into place if they are forced to reschedule and even then it is thought that there will be clauses in most policies that means they won't have to pay out.
- Discuss an alternative date so they know that they have a back up plan and don't need to make a decision too early.
- Be clear with them as to when you need a final decision.
Remember; as soon as they voluntarily postpone, they can't claim on their insurance if the situation advances and government restrictions change. But if their insurance might not cover them anyway, it becomes irrelevant.
Postponing if the couple isn't insured
We've been heartened to hear that venues are being so helpful in arranging an alternative date at no extra charge for couples wanting to postpone. We hope that this continues to be the case and it paves the way for other suppliers to do the same.
There are definite advantages to this approach:
- Allowing or encouraging your couples to postpone keeps your team safer. No one wants to miss out on being at a wedding so for venues, caterers and others there on the day, there is a risk to your team from wedding guests that may attend when they should be self-isolating.
- Depending on your contract, if you are unable to carry out your commitment to the couple, for example if your venue is forced to close or you are unwell, you will probably be obliged to refund in full.
- Allowing couples to postpone at this relatively early stage will put your couples' minds at rest and allow them to refocus on the new date, while you focus on those that are still keen to go ahead if they can.
For most of us it is a waiting game to see how things progress.
From the experts
Practical suggestions for venues and wedding suppliers:
- Update your online calendar to appear on the Late Availability section. If you advertise with Guides for Brides you have access to a free calendar in your business hub. Email your account manager if you'd like help setting it up. Lots of couples with weddings booked over the next 3 months are looking at their options to change dates. Make sure you are one of the options they are considering.
- Add the calendar widget to your own website so couples can check your availability there too. Again, our account managers are here to help you.
- Add a mobile number to all your online listings. This way, you can be contacted if you are unable to get into work.
- For venues, look at measures you can take to allow weddings to take place safely. Can you move all or part of the wedding outdoors or into a marquee? Could you boost your wifi or set up a dedicated connection to allow live-streaming? Are you able to be flexible in allowing a reduction in the number of guests without penalties for the couple?
- If you haven't already, contact your couples. In particular, contact those who have weddings in the next 3 - 6 months to discuss any contingency plans.
Reduce Uncertainty
- Your Cancellation Policy: What is your cancellation policy 1 day / 1 week / 1 month before the wedding if the couple chooses to cancel?
- What is your policy if the couple significantly reduces the scale of the wedding and just invite close family? Or choose to hold the wedding ceremony but delay the reception?
- Government Intervention: What happens if postponing or cancelling is out of their control as the government or local authority stops social gatherings?
- What happens if you choose to shut down your venue or business, or your staff aren't available to work?
"it is possible that up to one-fifth of employees may be absent from work during peak weeks" - Government advice
Wedding Insurance and COVID-19
“If you are an existing customer, we can assure you that your policy remains in place and unchanged.” - John Lewis Wedding Insurance
Whether or not your couples have insurance may influence how you deal with a cancellation or other changes to their plans. For example, they may need to cancel in order to get an insurance refund and then rebook, rather than simply postpone or reduce the size of the wedding.
Play Fair on Contracts
What alternatives can you offer for weddings affected by Coronavirus
Don't over-react
Have contingency plans in place, communicate clearly, but don't panic your couples unnecessarily. They will be looking to you as a professional for guidance and reassurance. So, if there is a chance that their wedding can go ahead as planned, keep that as Plan A. If you seem concerned, your clients will feel that anxiety and react to it.
You should, of course, be truthful with clients about possible delays in the supply chain and problems that you can foresee; however, you should also express the appropriate confidence in handling the situation if you can. Your clients will have more faith in you and your problem-solving abilities if you are open and honest with them explain the options and contingency plan.
We'd encourage you to share our advice for brides and grooms regarding Coronavirus, so you can provide up to date information to your clients. We are updating this blog regularly as the situation develops.
All information is correct to the best of our knowledge at 19.00hrs on 16/3/20 but the situation is rapidly changing and we cannot be held responsible for actions as a result of this advice.
Key Sources: