THE “AMAZING” BLOG

So your wedding has been postponed! It a strange time,  everything suddenly has gone in a different direction and it feels completely out of your control.  If you had your date affected by Covid-19 lockdown here are some ideas just to help YOU get back on track and in-control and stay positive.  

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. I can help. First, let’s establish that he’s dead.” There is a silence; then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, “OK, now what?” 

 This was researched and found to be the worlds funnest joke by Richard Wiseman!! ….  but what’s it got to do with this subject…probably not much but its a great joke and hopefully made you smile. 
That’s Step 1.  Smile…and Don’t panic!

First of all establish the facts, do you need to cancel?…  If you haven’t already, give your venue a call and  keep in touch with them.  At some point we WILL get back to normal and some dates may not be affected.  Don’t try and rearrange things if you do not need to.  Speak to your venue and take their advice on this as they are the professionals and will be working closely to government guidelines.  

OK,  so it’s definitely not going to happen on your date and you have established the facts. 
Step 2…Accept that its got to change… don’t stress about it but visualise your new wedding being Bigger and Better than before!    Every supplier and venue across the country is in the same situation and also so are many other brides.  Everyone knows the deal and hopefully will be on your side!    So Let’s  make it Bigger and Better than before!!  

Just to clarify, this point.  It doesn’t have to be bigger with more guests and busier. Better doesn’t mean that it wasn’t already great (your day will always be important to you and so totally amazing!)  It’s almost a metaphor to get us in the right positive frame of mind and to renew our enthusiasm about several more months planning when you might be just ready to party.  Better just means we have time to check every details cross the “T”S and dot the “i”s.  So lets get thinking and visualising about making it Bigger and Better in those terms and it will be an Amazing time both the re-planning and the day itself!

Let’s find a new date!   This may feel like starting again but as I mentioned above Don’t Panic!!!  You are actually a long way down the line and have already done most of the hard work.  Have a chat with your venue and work out some options.  Work out availability and find 2 or 3 different dates.    Do you want to move to around Sept or October or go for a full 12months and have the same week next year?
 

Increase your options further.  Think about maybe a weekday wedding.  Perhaps a Friday or maybe even a Monday.  Again, thinks Lets make it bigger and better!  A weekday or a Friday will give you more options and you are more likely to be able to get availability on these dates for suppliers and venue.  You might also find that your venue has a better deal on these dates. If your budget is already set then why not use the difference to do a pre-wedding party for family and closer friends!! Make a weekend of your wedding!  

Also think about a winter wedding.  Late October, November or even December (but avoid second week December – its the busiest week of the year!!)   These days in October and November are actually great times to have a wedding, its a quiet time of year and sometimes people want a good excuse to have a party and a pick me up!  There are lots of theming ideas like, Halloween or Bonfire Night (Maybe swap the evening buffet for a Jacket Potato & Soup (outdoors catering), roast chestnuts, add some fireworks or even sparklers if your budget is not huge  and you got an awesome evening!    If you want to take the party outside  maybe think about a Silent Disco!!  check out https://www.silentnoizeevents.com 

Also think about the dates in-between Christmas and New Year!  Again, it’s non-peak and at a time where people are available, ready to party and at the same time midweek!!

By thinking a little outside the regular options you may find availability for your suppliers easier and it could be a case of just rearranging everything to just another date.  This might be a chance to upgrade a package with your suppliers as you are now looking at a non peak date.  They are most likely to be really glad to fill that date and might offer an upgraded package at no additional charge in return. 

A quick word on suppliers here.  Many suppliers to the wedding industry are smaller businesses or sole traders.  Currently,  for us our work has stopped, which of course is not great for the bank accounts although many professional suppliers are keeping positive, taking time to restock and replenish and are looking forward to working again to be part of your day.  This is a great time to chat to them and work with them to get a great deal and build a rapport with them.   A good supplier will be ready to work with you and your situation.  If they start making unreasonable requests about deposits or rebooking fees then you might have just worked out whether they are suitable for you!  

So you have some dates, at this point but  don’t choose one just yet.  Drop an email to your suppliers and get responses of who is available on what date.    

If there is a date when everyone is available then job done!!   If you have suppliers that are not available,  work out the date that you have the most suppliers that you really want to be there!  What suppliers do you really want at your wedding?  This might not always be the order of necessity like when you first booked.  For example quite often I am booked because couples know me and like what I do and how i do it.  Where as they might not know another supplier on the same level or need “them” to actually be providing that companies service.    

If you do need to look for other suppliers then again – Don’t Panic!  You already know what you are looking for so it’s not like when you first started planning.  In fact, if you believe in the power of attraction then sometimes knowing what you want makes it drop into your lap! 

Ask your current supplier for a recommendations.  I quite often work with other magicians and I am usually quite fussy about who I work with and recommend. I know they have got to not only reflect  the standard of what I do but also compliment my style and ethos.  Many suppliers are similar in this aspect and will know many professionals in their own respective fields.  Also chat with your venue as they will have a list of recommended suppliers.  

Rearranging and the details!   Most suppliers will have their own systems and booking process,  a good supplier that really wants to be at your wedding will have already thought about how to deal with rearranging.  Quite often most of the details will remain the same and you just need to rearrange the date.  A simple email is the easiest way but if you want a full reconfirmation then a professional will easily be able to PDF a revised contract at the press of a button so just ask!!   

Of course let’s use this opportunity to make things Bigger and Better!  This situation has affected everyone and we all have stories to tell.  It’s a great time to chat again and build rapport.   Chat through some more options,  you may have some other ideas from when you initially booked or they might have new ideas that might work  well for you. 

Don’t forget to tell your guests!   How you do this might be again down to your budget or how elaborately you want to do this maybe make it fun, get creative.  You might want to just do a simple change the date postcard or do it digitally.   If you have lots of time on your hands at the moment why not try a video call!!  Again its a great way to brighten up your friends day and share!!  

So everything is rearranged, dates set,  suppliers confirmed its just a case of waiting now…which I totally understand can be a little frustrating as you might have spent a long time planning and were really building up to that date!   You don’t want to loose your excitement so keep looking for ideas things that you can easily add to your day.  Have you forgotten anything?  or what can you squeeze in to make it Bigger and Better!    

There might also be things that you didn’t think you could afford initially, so why not think about those things again and use the time to save a little and put it to one side each month.  Of course if you haven’t booked your daytime entertainment this is a great time to plan and maybe get some quotes and ideas ????!!  

Finally,  don’t forget yourselves!  You were really looking forward to your big day for so long,  its gonna be very odd when you do get to that date and its no longer your wedding date!!  So maybe plan something at home with your partner, something fun on your “wedding day”…and then make your promise to make your rearranged day Bigger and Better and of course Amazing!

We are going to have some amazing weddings and parties very soon!! So until then…and it wont be long!  Have fun, Stay Safe and see you very soon!!

Find out how to make it Amazing…get in touch today and tell me about your wedding plans. brett@amazingmagic.uk   www.amazingmagic.uk