Here at Bride Buddy we have ceremonies booked in the UK and in Greece. There is no doubt that the wedding industry will be hit hard by the impact with restrictions on travel to Europe for brides marrying in the Mediterranean, and added restrictions on gatherings both abroad and in the UK. We have had our travel plans to France disrupted this week as there are no direct flights from Kefalonia during closed season and our plan to get a ferry and drive to see family in France has been delayed.
For those couples who already have wedding insurance, it would be worth getting in touch with them sooner rather than later. The UK has a plan to delay the spread of the virus as long as possible to limit the load on the NHS and quite rightly, but delaying the peak until May means for you, and the wedding industry as a whole, this virus will probably affect the whole wedding season this year.
For those of you who have not obtained your insurance yet, do not be surprised if you find it extremely difficult to find anyone willing to insure you. Already several companies have pulled out of providing travel and wedding insurance leaving many couples feeling panicked.
We have a link below to an article from Grazia magazine where bride-to-be Anna Silverman asks experts how to navigate wedding season amid a global epidemic. It has a lot of common sense advice and useful information.
Sometimes in life things that are completely beyond our control and out of our hands can have a huge impact on our lives and you may well feel stressed, anxious and extremely nervous. We need to remind ourselves that this situation is so extreme for everyone and peoples health is the most important issue here. Companies will do everything in their power to help you continue with your plans, be they delayed or postponed to a later date. Here at Bride Buddy we are happy to work with our couples to re-schedule or refund deposits if required, and I know that most airlines are now also offering to reschedule flights without any fees or charges.
Coronavirus has created exceptional times. Wedding businesses and customers, Brides and venues, florists to photographers will all want to work with you to help get your plans back on track. We will update this blog in a couple of weeks as the situation changes. Look out for Part II.