An open letter to my 2020 brides

To all of my 2020 brides,

The next few months are set to be uncertain times and for those of you reaching out to me , I just wanted to provide you with a little reassurance about my position when it comes to your wedding day. I know that everyone is telling you not to panic, but I have been in your position as an excited bride to be and can imagine that panicking is probably all you are really doing right now! I wanted to take this chance to reassure you that I will do all I can to help with any changes that might need to be made and help you however I can. I have outlined a few points below for you to consider and I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how I intend to handle the current situation/mess/ chaos that we all find ourselves stuck in!

PAUSE,- don’t cancel

Don’t hastily cancel your wedding plans. Lots of venues are allowing couples to postpone their plans rather than miss out altogether. Currently the government have enforced a ban on weddings but this won’t last forever.  

If you can postpone…

Given the current situation some brides are finding themselves in the difficult position of wanting to postpone their wedding day or rearrange their date.  I can only imagine what an awful situation my brides are in trying to make this decision and trying to figure out what to do for the best. I can totally sympathise with anyone wanting to reschedule but concerned that in doing so they might be left out of pocket.  Registrars have previously said they will move any 2020 bookings over the next few weeks, to a rescheduled date later in the year without any additional transfer or admin costs ( something to consider when making any changes to your plans! ) .

What I can do…

I have personally taken the decision to do everything I can to help my brides that are wanting to reschedule their wedding date. The following advice is on behalf of my business only. It does not mean that any other suppliers are obliged or expected in any way to follow suit or agree to the new terms that I am happy to offer. As a small business I want to ensure that we are able and willing to help one another so that everyone can get through this challenging time with minimal upset and disruption.

If you can make a claim on wedding insurance

I’m so far only aware of one bride who has been told she is successfully covered for her wedding day. If you think you might also be in this situation then please contact me directly. If your insurance policy is saying that they will cover you, then they will also pay out to your suppliers in full as agreed within your contracts. For me personally, that means that my original and agreed contract with you still stands and that neither of us will not lose out on any payments. As you can imagine, myself – like many small businesses- are going to find the next few weeks and months really challenging so if you can claim then go ahead and do so. Please don’t think that you are claiming ‘against’ me, (you’re not ! ) Or that it is detrimental to our relationship in any way. It simply means that in this scenario I get paid, and you get reimbursed so we are both covered. If this is the case, I can simply create a new booking for you and we can go ahead and book in your new wedding date. If you need any documentation confirming payments that you have made or will be expected to make to abide by my T & C then please do not hesitate to ask and I will provide everything I can to support your claim.

Be aware

Unfortunately, even some couples with wedding insurance are finding themselves helpless because the situation is now considered a worldwide pandemic, and therefor not covered. Your wedding day is supposed to be the best day of your life and you’ve spent both money and time trying to ensure everything is perfect. Sadly, no one could have foreseen the current situation we find ourselves in but that doesn’t make it any easier or you to accept.

A hard time for the suppliers

The last few weeks I’ve seen some really angry brides saying the most awful things about suppliers who didn’t agree to refund their non refundable booking payment, because the brides had made the hard decision to cancel their weddings. As it stands, without an enforced cancellation any suppliers insurance won’t cover them for any loss of earnings over this period at all. Even with enforced cancellation, because of the exceptional circumstance, insurance wont cover that either. For some, this can mean thousands of pounds and the difference between being able to support their families and quite literally put food on their table. The majority of suppliers are small, self employed individuals providing a personal service for brides on their wedding day. Everyone’s emotions are running very high at the moment but I urge you to take a moment to see both sides of the situation that we now find ourselves in. Some businesses simply won’t survive all the cancellations they’re faced with at the moment and everyone is doing whatever they personally see as the best way to try and get their business through a really difficult time. Working together to support one another now means that neither side need loose out.

My personal decision

I want to be at your wedding as much as you do! Wedding hair and make up has been my full time role for 7 years now and I’m personally invested in every bride that I meet and book. It upsets me so much that we find ourselves in a position where so many of the lovely ladies who I’ve excitedly met and helped prepare for their big day wont be able to have it on the day they had originally planned. Of course financially this is going to potentially have a massive impact on the business I’ve worked really hard to build, but what’s causing me most upset is speaking to those of you that are simply devastated as to what’s going on. I’ll do my very best to keep you updated and when it comes to your individual wedding days and plans, I ask that you do the same and let me know as soon as any changes are made so I can do everything I can to accommodate them for you

However, that being said I do understand that a lot of my brides are wanting and intending to cancel their current date and reschedule. I have personally decided that providing I am available, I am happy and willing to move your booking fee over to your new date and honour the rates of your original booking, meaning that you wont be at all financially affected.
I’ll also be changing the payment terms for you, meaning that a staggered payment will allow you longer to pay your balance.
By doing this it means that not only am I able to ensure that my business can continue during this difficult period, but it’s also my way of showing my brides some support. You shouldn’t have to be out of pocket for something that is totally beyond anyone’s control. I want my brides know that they are covered and supported by me and the contract we have made.
If you are considering a rescheduled date please feel free to contact me to request my availability. If I am not available for your new date then I have made it my personal mission to find you someone who is. I don’t want any of my brides to feel lost or daunted at the prospect of having to try and find another available hair and make up artist , so I will personally do this for you.
Hopefully this gesture provides you with some reassurance that I’m doing everything I can this end to make everything as simple and stress free as possible as it can be for you at the moment!

If you did still intend/want/ are happy to make payment in full as per your T & C’s at the time of your original booking, then this would be gratefully received. I know that some of you have said you have already accounted for payments going at this time anyway and that is very much appreciated. It’s really comforting to know that you can see the effect that this will have on my personal circumstance and really kind of you to be wanting to support me personally at this time also. Needless to say this helps my business at this tricky time and I thank you for that. In this instance, and for those of you that have already done this and made payment in full to me please just let me know your rescheduled dates. This way I can transfer your booking and send you over a revised booking form with your new date and receipt of your payment in full against this new date for you.

In addition to this, I’ll also be issuing all of my brides who have already had their trial/preview session a voucher for 10% off any further preview sessions they might want to have. You do not have to take advantage of this offer and it is by no means compulsory, but I just wanted to offer a little something extra to those of you having to change your date, and especially those of you who are waiting over a year for your new date in 2021. Should you wish to have another preview session nearer the time of your new and rescheduled wedding, you can use this 10% voucher against this booking. Hopefully by this point you will be able to relax and be excited about your upcoming wedding again, and this might help, albeit only a little, with building that excitement!

As I mentioned, other suppliers will not necessarily be working to the same terms and I’m sure everyone will be looking at each case individually. Just because I am offering to accommodate new dates does not mean that any other suppliers will be doing the same. Please please please be sure to talk to all of your suppliers individually as every business is different.

If you have any questions then please do just ask, I hope you are all keeping well and please know that I’m looking forward to joining you on your wedding morning – regardless of when that might be!

Kind Regards