What does lockdown mean to bride and groom’s when today was supposed to be your wedding day?

Mr. Boris Johnson announced on 23rd March 2020, the UK was being put into lockdown meaning everyone had to stay at home unless essential travel was needed.

Meaning non-essential travel, group gathering’s banned, non-essential retail, also a tier system was put in place and closure to public houses, this also affected the wedding industry drastically.

Wedding’s usually carrying unlimited numbers of guests depending on budget was reduced to 15 initially then raised to 30 with social distancing and mask-wearing in place, and as photographer’s, we would also be a guest over a paid service provider.

Being a wedding photographer classed as a guest reduced the bride and groom’s guest list by 1 or maybe 2 if it’s a team of 2, putting extreme pressure on the guest list as they would have to not invite another family member.

What happens now? As a bride and groom’s with reduced guest numbers, the venue’s closed, one option is to postpone, or if your wedding can go ahead with these restrictions in place, what would this mean?

Postpone, postponing your wedding can cause a lot of stress, first thoughts, what if your vendors cannot accommodate our new date?

Will money be lost due to non-refundable booking fee’s already paid? If some of our vendors cannot we will have to pay more to find new providers, in reality, that’s double the costs.

If your wedding can go ahead. If your wedding is going to go ahead, here is your first dilemma, which family and friends do you not invite? This alone could cause family disputes, arguments and even worse family divides. Finger crossed it doesn’t come to that and everyone understands.

I asked several postponed couples, and here are some facts I was presented with.

Some of the stresses and some of the outcomes are below.

• Cried with the not knowing if we can go ahead.
• Lost all interest in the planning of our wedding.
• Will the wedding attire still fit especially with children who grow so fast, again more expense.
• Waiting a year or 2 to the postponed date and hope it can go ahead again.
• Two of our services had to close, very upsetting and now have to find new vendors
  
• The lower numbers made our wedding more intimate even if difficult decisions had to be made.
• Our Guests were all very understanding and when possible, will share a larger function whereby all guests can attend and enjoy essentially a second wedding with us.
• With the reduced numbers and the restrictions in place, social distancing, and face coverings that matched our outfits our guests enjoyed every minute.

With our findings and conversations with bride and grooms that have had to postpone their wedding or reduce their wedding numbers, they have been put under great pressure, wedding vendors again under great pressure to accommodate their couples if posting.

Luckily 2021 is showing a light at the end of the tunnel, and weddings are back on the horizon, couples are booking for 2021 and even further to 2022.

So let the wedding planning start and pick up where we all left off.

Happy Planning and if you wish to chat about booking your wedding photography with us please take a moment browse our wedding packages.