It’s not business as usual.
Photo by Cameron Clark
At the end of February, I wrote about the impact the Coronavirus was having on the global wedding industry. Obviously, things have escalated since then and delayed shipments are no longer the primary industry concern.
I personally believe the best mantra for managing the uncertainties COVID-19 is bringing is, “Don’t panic, but do overprepare.”
If you are a wedding and event planner, you already know it’s possible to stay calm and handle whatever comes your way with aplomb and a good backup plan. After all, it’s literally what you do for a living.
If you’re a creative in a different segment of the industry (floral designer, caterer, musician, photographer), you know that amazing memories can be created out of less than ideal circumstances. And while you may have never dealt with this specific set of circumstances, you know that you can make things work, even if it’s not what you originally had in mind.
Here are some questions I’ve received in conversations and emails with wedding and event professionals:
1. Isn’t the Coronavirus just a fancy flu?
No. It is not the flu. It was never the flu.
It does share symptoms with the flu, the common cold, and seasonal allergies, which is why many people aren’t taking it as seriously as they should.
Again, don’t panic, but do take responsible precautions, both for yourself and your family as well as for your clients.
2. Why are big events being canceled?
The current infection rate for COVID-19 is 2-3, meaning if someone catches it, they are likely to spread it to 2-3 people, who then spread it to 2-3 other people, and so on. The growth is exponential: seemingly slow and then seemingly all at once.
Because big events obviously give literal space for the illness to spread to far more than 2-3 people much more quickly, isolation and quarantine are a way to “flatten the curve.”
Graphic by Stephanie King
The curve represents the part of the bell curve above the dotted line, which represents the healthcare system’s capacity to help people. By isolating and limiting the spread of the Coronavirus, it allows fewer people to catch it, lessening the burden on hospitals and – most importantly – keeping more people alive. The goal of canceling big events is to get that curve as flat as possible.
In order to get that curve flatter faster, many national and local governments have taken “social distancing” measures that include banning weddings, funerals, sporting events, schools, conferences, festivals, etc for a period of time (right now most are through at least the beginning of April).
In the US, several states (including Washington, Oregon, California, Maryland, etc) have issued bans on gatherings of more than 250 people through the end of March. Events with less than 250 people are allowed if the guests are kept 6 feet from each other.
3. I’m healthy and my clients are healthy, why should we follow these guidelines?
You may be healthy, which means if you catch it, you’ll be sick for a while, but ultimately fine. If the 2-3 or more people you spread it to have compromised immune systems, they will likely not be fine and their chances of being in the portion of the curve above the dotted line are much higher.
Not everyone has the luxury of normal good health. Immunocompromised people include cancer patients and survivors, smokers, the elderly, people with asthma, diabetes, and other “invisible” diseases you can’t necessarily see because they look healthy, etc.
We live in a society and need to look out for one another.
4. People die from cancer, heart attacks, homelessness, and snake bites every year, why aren’t we stressing out more about those?
Yeah, I saw that meme, too, and it’s a fallacious analogy. Please stop sharing it.
Cancer, heart attacks, homelessness, and snake bites are not contagious. No one is going to get cancer because a cancer patient sat next to them on a plane.
If you care about those issues, please advocate for cures and prevention, but don’t use them to downplay the legitimacy of this entirely different situation.
5. It seems like the media is overreacting, which sources should I be paying attention to so I can find out what’s going on in the coming days and weeks as COVID-19 evolves?
While I’m not going to vet every single news source here, I will say this: if the news you’re watching/reading is reporting this as a partisan political conspiracy or a business conspiracy or any kind of conspiracy at all, please stop getting your COVID-19 information from that source.
Here are some international expert sources I personally trust:
Jeremy Konyndyk’s Twitter account: Jeremy is the head of pandemic preparation at the Center for Global Development. Because of the type of volunteer work I do, I started following him years ago in his previous job as head of USAID and U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance.
For the past 7 years he’s earned my trust because of his professional, nuanced, educated, and informed approach to issues of public health. He’s been sharing resources and government announcements from other countries daily, not just those from the US.
Center for Global Development: Expert insights on COVID-19
World Health Organization (WHO): Expert insights on COVID-19
Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center: Live interactive map of confirmed global cases, total deaths, and total recovered. (So far over 68,000 people have recovered – great news worth celebrating!)
I’ve also created a Twitter list of science-focused COVID-19 experts that I’ll be updating on an ongoing basis. You can follow it by hitting “subscribe” on the linked page.
Twitter lists allow you to follow people without having to add them to your main following feed. This has the added benefit of being able to turn Coronavirus news “off” when you need to binge on the entire series of Schitts Creek as mental self-care.
Here are some media sources I (mostly) trust:
The Atlantic’s Guide to Understanding COVID-19 (they’ve removed the paywall for Coronavirus-related articles)
The New York Times Coronavirus coverage (they’ve removed the paywall for Coronavirus-related coverage, but you still need to register a free account in order to read it)
The Wall Street Journal’s live coverage
Here are some country-specific government COVID-19 resources (I don’t necessarily trust all of these):
UK: National Health Service (NHS)
Italy: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
USA: Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Singapore: Ministry of Health COVID-19 dashboard
France: Ministry of Solidarity and Health
India: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Japan: Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare
Australia: Department of Health
Canada: Government of Canada COVID-19 Updates
6. Will wedding insurance cover my clients if they cancel?
Most likely no, at least none of the 12 different wedding insurance companies I’ve talked to will.
Definitely read the fine print (or have an attorney read the fine print, if you can), and talk to the insurance provider if it’s already purchased, but in all likelihood, your clients are going to be out some of the money they’ve already spent if they cancel or postpone.
7. Will my business liability insurance cover my costs if the wedding is canceled?
Definitely consult an attorney on the fine print on this one, but liability insurance and event cancellation riders are generally strict about what is and isn’t considered force majeure.
In the US, a governor declaring a “disaster” or “state of emergency” is often a required step for them to receive federal relief funding. Those designations don’t necessarily count in the eyes of the insurance company as a reason the event can’t take place.
8. I’m being calm and rational, but my clients aren’t. What can I say to reassure them?
Weddings famously have more emotional decision making at play than other big life milestone purchases, so having the Coronavirus pandemic and economic issues happening on top of it can turn even the most rational and even-keeled person into a ball of anxiety.
Here are some ideas on how to let your clients know you have their best interest in mind and will work to make their wedding a day they’ll remember for all the right reasons:
Tell the truth, with compassion. (“You may not be able to get the exact flowers you want, but we will create something beautiful.”)
Don’t play into conspiracies, especially those that endanger people. (“Your 90-year-old grandma will be totally fine on the flight. This is all just to keep Trump from being re-elected.”)
Don’t make promises on things outside of your control. (“We definitely won’t need to consider a plan B country or location for your destination wedding.”)
Show that you’re the expert on what you do, which is why they’re paying you. (“I’m not only staying up on the news, but am also in touch with the customs brokers, freight companies, and suppliers we use so that we can make smart decisions on the fly.”)
Share the backup staffing plan you have in place in case you or your employees catch COVID-19. (“I have great relationships with my competitors and peers and we have each other’s backs when it matters. If I or my second shooter can’t photograph your wedding because of Coronavirus, I will make sure an equally talented photographer is available to substitute for me.”)
9. What do I do if a client has to postpone their wedding and I’m already booked for their new date?
This one will especially require you to balance your clients’ best interest with that of your family, your company, and the employees that depend on you for their paycheck.
Check with an attorney to see what you are legally liable for in terms of refunds (your contract will likely need to have more than just a “no refunds” statement. The specific verbiage used will matter).
If you’re in a financial position to give a refund, great! If not, and you are legally entitled to keep the payments received thus far, tell the truth, again with compassion: that your family and your employees’ families depend on you for their income and (in the US and some other countries) their health insurance.
Again, when it comes to anything you’re legally liable for, run what you’re planning to say by an attorney.
We’re all in this together.
If you have more questions regarding COVID-19 and your wedding business, feel free to email me at hello@thinksplendid.com.
I’ll share my answers here on the Think Splendid blog so that everyone can benefit. I’ll also keep you anonymous if you’re not comfortable having your name tied to the question in a Google search or don’t want a competitor to know what’s on your mind.
Written By
LIENE STEVENS
Liene Stevens, the founder and CEO of Think Splendid, is an author, speaker, and award-winning business strategist. Armed with $2000, a healthy work ethic, and an undeserved dose of privilege, Liene bootstrapped Think Splendid from a scribble in a notebook to a successful wedding business consulting firm with a client list spanning 94 countries.
