The Elephant in the room


I figured as Central coast , hunter valley wedding photographer my first post on my new site should address the topic we all are living through and would prefer not to have to discuss. Photo above show my home city Sydney and the opera house during the lockdown period.


Appropriately, Friday 13th 2020 earlier this year was the day in Australia when the wheels fell off the wedding industry and of course many others .

In most cases for my wedding clients, postponements were to a future date in 2021 . I had scheduled surgery around that time which was cancelled and had previously not booked work around this time knowing this.

After the dust had settled, and surgery completed ( late june ) it got me thinking about what impact the Covid will have on future weddings, in particular 2021?


SOCIAL DISTANCING


While there are plenty of opinions everywhere you look, not one person can say for certain what the future holds.Having said that, regardless of what stage of restrictions we are in I find it highly unlikely at this stage (with what we know right now) that any large events will take place in 2020 without social distancing restrictions.


Many experts have suggested that at least intermittent social distancing will be in place until everyone on the planet has been vaccinated. That could take 6-24 months to begin, and see some restrictions in place possibly until 2022.

It is worth considering though that all existing social distancing requirements will most likely stay in place this year or longer. That means that in most cases, outdoor weddings may be the way to go .


FLEXIBILITY


If you are still planning a wedding in 2020 or 2021 I would highly recommend you scrupulously ensure all vendors and suppliers involved permit cancellations or postponements leading up to that date (without penalties).


As a wedding photographer, I have relaxed my cancellation and postponement terms to allow changes with full refunds . While this may result in a few late cancellations and inconvenience for me, it provides complete peace of mind for couples. 


There is just too much uncertainty in the world right now, and that includes the prospect of the Bride or Groom getting sick or catching a cold, and having to postpone the wedding for that reason. The same can be said for the photographer and other vendors, who in the past might have ‘soldiered on’. This will no longer be an option!


Three things that I can see affecting weddings going forward for the foreseeable future (and without notice).


Key guests getting sick (e.g. a cold) and not being able to attend. If this includes either the bride or groom, this might be a ‘show stopper’.

Venues or other suppliers going out of business due to COVID (much more likely now after JobKeeper ends in March 2021)

New directions being implemented by the nsw State government without notice, leading to a need to reduce guest numbers. In the worst-case scenario, we may end up back at five guests only, or even no guests allowed at all except the celebrant.


INCREASED DEMAND


I believe that there will be a significant increase in demand for all wedding vendors in 2021 and 2022. My current feeling is that most weddings will be scheduled for the July-December 2021 wedding season rather than early 2020. This is certainly what I am seeing with clients who have postponed from 2020. 

If I had a large 100 person plus wedding planned and booked anytime in 2020, in all honesty, I would be looking to postpone that to at least a date in the second half of 2021.

If at all possible, due to the possibility of going from (say) Stage 3 back down to Stage 2 because of a localised outbreak, I would recommend that couples consider keeping their guest numbers to as few people as possible if they are planning a wedding in 2020 (and even 2021) and certainly under 60 guests. 


WHAT TO DO


If you wait until this ‘all blows over’ (if and when that happens) you may find that all the popular suppliers and venues are already booked, or have increased their prices to meet demand.


Remember, however, that most weddings are booked on a Saturday, and very few on a Friday so that is always a good option if you and the bridal party can take a day off work.


For your peace of mind, please make sure that all your agreements with vendors are super flexible in terms of postponements and cancellations, and that includes changes at very short notice.