With the latest announcement by the British government, many people are still unclear whether their wedding/special event will be affected by Coronavirus.
Although the government is putting measures in place to reduce lockdown, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to what is happening with weddings. It would seem that smaller weddings are able to go ahead from as early as 1st June 2020 and that places of worship and hospitality establishments could resume from 4th July 2020, this will only happen if safe to do and the government has not stipulated what they deem as a small wedding, no doubt causing stress and anxiety to those in this situation.
If you are planning your wedding, which could be affected by Coronavirus, here are a few tips on the measures you could be taking.
Contact your Venue and Suppliers!
Speak to your venue as soon as you can. There will be many people in the same situation and the sooner you can get some clarity the better. Most venues will want to accommodate their customers in the best way they can. However depending on their availability this may not always be viable.
There will be a large number of people postponing their wedding/special event, so this is where communication is key. Speak to the venue and your suppliers about alternative dates, they may ask for a fee to secure the date, however each venue/supplier will have their own policies in place so please read through them. It is also wise to check available dates with your key guests that you want to attend. It may be a little time consuming and ringing around however it is a good way for you to ensure that both the venue and your chosen suppliers and family and friends can accommodate your new date.
Wedding Insurance Are We Covered?
Just like most insurance policies you take out, whether it is car, home or holiday insurance, you are covered in the event of unforeseen circumstances that results in a financial loss.
Many people ask, ‘’Are we covered if our wedding is cancelled due to Coronavirus?’’ This is a real grey area at the moment and each insurance company will have their own terms and conditions. If you have wedding insurance then you should check with your insurers as early as possible and read through their terms and conditions to see what is covered.
Some insurers provide cover if a premises closes due to an outbreak of an infectious or contagious disease and they are unable to facilitate your wedding. Check with your insurance company to get clarity on this. If you need to raise an issue or make a complaint do this directly through your insurers, if your insurers fail to respond or you are not satisfied with the way the complaint is dealt with then you can go to the Financial Ombudsman. They offer a free impartial service that helps to resolve disputes between consumers and businesses. They will make the final decision on your claim but you’ll need to follow your insurance company’s complaints procedure first and give them the opportunity to respond.
Here are a few scenarios that you may be covered for in normal circumstances.
- If the venue stops trading, or they are the ones to cancel your wedding.
- A supplier cannot carry out the work you have paid them for.
- Injury or illness to you or a close family member.
Remember these are not normal circumstances and so each insurer will be different from the next, they will each have their own guidelines in place, so please check with your own insurer.
We are here to help!
We at Jen’s Tailored Events host, manage and supply event equipment and we totally understand the impact Coronavirus has had. We have postponed our own wedding fayres and worked with both venues and our brides and grooms to be who have had to postpone their events. Fortunately, we have been able to accommodate all of our postponed bookings by offering alternative dates.
We work with many trusted suppliers, such as photographers, cake makers, venue dressers and many more. We are here to help, so if you need any more information or guidance then please contact us.
Thank you for reading.
Jen xx
