Yes, the feature photo for this blog are two glasses of wine because we probably need a glass or two right now. I know it is all on our brains with wedding planning and COVID-19 on the rise here in Washington State and so I wanted to address a few concerns.
As of April 1st, 2020 we are still on a “Stay at Home” order by our Governor here in Washington until April 6th with the potential of that extending. Therefore, at this time it is illegal to have any gatherings, regardless of the size.
Our biggest recommendation right now is to postpone, not cancel. One, that ups the chances of you being able to move retainers to your new date and also, keep the original plans of your dream wedding as close to the original as possible. This also helps out your vendors as well. We are all struggling in this together and although it is hard to have a huge chunk or potentially all our weddings move from 2020 to 2021, by postponing it enables us to keep our businesses open and continue to serve you.
If you are considering rescheduling, we are asking you would only reschedule about 60 days or less before your original date as it might be a bit too early to determine anything about the situation as it might get better. Also please, please, please consider rescheduling to a non-peak date in 2021. By picking an off season, Friday or Sunday date you are enabling your vendors to make sure they still get to book a 2021 season and ensure they are still open for business by the time your wedding actually does roll around. You also might get a better discount from your venue or vendors by doing so as we all know money is tight right now.
Rebecca Anne Photography’s contract states that your retainer is non-refundable but transferable to another date through the following calendar year if rescheduled 30 days or more before your wedding date. If it is less than 30 days before your wedding date then your final balance will still be due but still transferrable to a new date through the following calendar year if we are available. If the new date does not fall within the following calendar year, then a new retainer of 50% the packaged price will be due to secure the new date. Please see your contract for full details.
Rebecca herself started a group for Washington Wedding Photographers in case of an emergency to help support photographers who come down sick and still have events to photograph. We also currently have a team of 3 associate photographers who work under our brand that are here to support each other and are bringing on another 2 photographers in the upcoming months. Our first priority if one of our photographers gets sick is to keep you within the Rebecca Anne Photography team and assign another associate (or myself) to photograph your day. If that is not possible, then we would reach out to the photographers we know well who have similar shooting styles and ask them to shoot the day while we still finish the editing and delivery process.
The biggest thing in all of this is to keep yourself and your family and friends safe. If that means asking the elderly or those with compromised immune systems to stay home, then you need to do that.
A Institute precautions on your wedding day with extra hand sanitizers, propping doors between rooms open, seating fewer people per table and checking in with your venue, coordinator and catering in the ways they can help keep your guests safe.
Why not consider a small intimate elopement with your closest friends and family and reschedule your reception for sometime next year? We can still get you the wedding photos of your dreams and the intimate moments with your close family members and wait to have the big celebration with your friends until later.
My hope and prayer is no one ever needs to read this or institute anything I said in this blog and you get to have a wedding even better than you dreamed. But I am here for you and I want to help, however that might be. And know that either way, we are going to capture the most amazing photos for you, and guest what, COVID-19 won’t be documented in those photos but just your love and memories. Please do not hesitate to give me a call, send an email or text with questions, concerns or if you just need to bounce some ideas off of someone else who might understand.