#188 Coronavirus and Wedding Planning - Bonus Episode

We address this pandemic from our perspective inside the wedding industry and working with our own clients currently. We have heard from so many listeners with questions about what to do about their own weddings - whether it’s in 3 weeks or 9 months. We know you all have questions and this is such a confusing time - especially because the news and the ‘rules’ are changing every day. Today’s episode is a bonus - a little different than our regular format. We are discussing something extremely timely - the Corona Virus and how weddings are affected. We are joined by Kathryn Kalabokes, Director of Weddings and Social Events at Julia Morgan Ballroom. We address this pandemic from our perspective inside the wedding industry and working with our own clients currently. We have heard from so many listeners with questions about what to about their own weddings - whether it’s in 3 weeks or 9 months. We know you all have questions and this is such a confusing time - especially because the news and the ‘rules’ are changing every day. We are going to mention websites that have the latest information about the virus and the measures our country is taking. We will include links to all sources mentioned in our show notes on the website and we will include the links/names of the guests that we are talking to, or that we have gotten quotes from. We are not experts in the medical field or in emergency preparation! We are all in this together - we are all doing the best we can with the information we have. Big Takeaways: Postponing is the number one thing. Most vendors are being very flexible and understanding. If you don’t have a planner, the absolute first thing you need to do is call your venue. Keep a paper trail, as well. Email is important so you know exactly what you agreed. After the venue, trickle down to the other vendors. Don’t forget to contact your sales rep at hotels for your room blocks. Everyone is feeling the pain of this crisis. Cough or sneeze into your elbow! Don’t shake hands. Wash your hands for 20-30 seconds aka two rounds of “happy birthday.” Sanitize and disinfect your phone, light switches, and doorknobs! Don’t panic. Look up your local county health website and have the emergency number handy. From Irina of Allé Travel (Episode 142) Airlines are being very accommodating. The only issue is hold times for calls. Delta reported over 6 hours wait times. All airlines are trying to make it easier to make changes online. Try calling at off hours, if you need to reach immediately. If it’s not urgent, hold off a couple days. The big need is getting Americans back to America. When it comes to hotels, the best bet is rescheduling, not cancelling. Your guests love to be communicated with. Even if you don’t have the specifics yet, share what you do know. It will be valuable to keep everyone in the loop as much as you can. Insurance: It won’t help to add insurance now. It’s sort of like a pre-existing condition. - If you already have it, look over what’s covered! Links We Referenced: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/12/coronavirus-live-updates/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/world/europe/trump-travel-ban-coronavirus.html Where to go for the most up-to-date information https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 https://www.npr.org/tags/804916759/covid-19 http://alletravel.co https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-what-does-social-distancing-mean/607927/ Get In Touch EMAIL: [email protected] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TBWPpodcast/ INSTAGRAM: @thebigweddingplanningpodcast BE SURE TO USE THE HASHTAG: #planthatwedding TWITTER: @TBWPpodcast PHONE: (415) 723-1625 Leave us a message and you might hear your voice on the show! PATREON: www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices