Weddings & wedding planning are both looking a little different these days, huh? I know it’s a lot & want to first start off by saying that I am on your team & ready to help in any way that I possibly can. I’ve been working with my couples for over a month now, finding the best solutions for them in the middle of all of this. So I’m pretty familiar with the options & ready to share every piece of information that I have so that you can make the best decision for yourself.

Before I go on to lay everything out, PLEASE do not feel like this situation is causing you to settle. No matter what you choose to do, your wedding day is going to be so amazingly special and, let’s be honest, you’re going to have one hell of a story to tell.

First things first, should you postpone?

Most of my weddings through early June have postponed or are splitting their day so that they can have a small ceremony now & reception later. Some questions you may want to ask yourself if you’re considering postponing:

Are there important guests that wouldn’t be able to attend because of travel restrictions?

Would you be able to pare your guest list down, if needed?

Is the uncertainty becoming overwhelming/do you feel like you need a more stable plan in place?

If you’ve decided to postpone, here are some options:

Reschedule for later in 2020 - If you’re considering this, reach out to your venue & must-have vendors as soon as you can, at least to just see what dates they have available. It wouldn’t hurt to be open to Friday & Sunday dates just in case. Trust me, the guests who truly want to be there for you won’t miss your wedding day just because it’s not on a Saturday.

Reschedule for 2021 - This is starting to get a little tricky for wedding vendors. We all want to serve both our 2020 & 2021 couples to the absolute best of our ability but combining two years worth of weddings into one is becoming a real possibility that we’re trying to navigate. If moving to 2021 is the best option for you, reach out to your vendors to see what they have open & if there are any rescheduling fees. This may require some flexibility & understanding from both parties.

Have a small ceremony now & reception later - I absolutely love this idea! If your ceremony falls during the stay-at-home order, it will most likely need to take place outside if you want a photographer present. If it is after the order is lifted, you could have it at your church, originally planned venue or anywhere that is special to you! The amount of coverage you booked should be able to be split between the two days pretty naturally, unless you are repeating anything, like the ceremony.

Now that you’ve decided if you’re going to postpone & which option is best for you, here are some FAQs about moving forward with me:

What happens if we need to postpone our wedding completely? I would send you my availability for the rest of 2020 or 2021. I still have a few open Saturdays left for the year & plenty in January-April of next year. Fridays & Sundays are also a great option. If we can find a date that works for us both, I’ll just send over a new contract & get you rescheduled! Your balance will not be due until 30 days before your new date.

If we move our date, is there a fee? I'm waiving the rescheduling fee if you move your date to anywhere in 2020, a Friday or Sunday, or before May 2021. Rescheduling fees will be applied to Saturdays May-October of next year, simply because if all of my 2020 weddings are moved to my 2021 busy season, it will be impossible for my business to sustain itself. Honesty time: I love you guys & want to give you everything I can but if I don’t make enough to pay my bills, I can’t continue to be a photographer. My hope is that between open 2020 & early 2021 Saturdays, plus the option of Fridays & Sundays without a fee, you are able to find an option that works for you.

This isn’t something I want to do & I know neither of us asked for any of this mess. But, on the bright side, my pricing has most likely increased since you booked anyways & you'll be getting a much more experienced version of me in 2021 so the value you’re receiving is even better!

What if we have to postpone to a date that you are unavailable? In this situation I would uphold the Substitute Photographer section of my contract & use an associate of equal experience to myself. The Southern Indiana photography community is tight-knit & I already have a list of professionals that I trust & recommend. I would still be handling communication, editing & delivery. You would not need to worry about paying extra, transferring funds or doing any planning with them, I will handle all of that. They would just be there on the day of the wedding.

What if you are sick or quarantined on the day of our wedding? I would, again, use an associate photographer & things would be handled in the same way as the previous question.

What if we want to elope now & have our reception later? I would love to be there for both, as long as it is safe & legal. If I have to miss one or the other, an associate photographer will be used. Your amount of coverage would just be split between the days & timelines should match up for the most part. If you want me there for more hours than what your collection originally included, I have special pricing on this to make it as easy as possible.

I just want to wrap this up by saying that there is no need to make a decision today but having a plan in place will most likely put your mind at ease so it’s worth thinking about. Another thing to consider, if you haven’t already, is hiring a planner. This will allow you to have another person on your team to help navigate all of this uncertainty. I highly recommend Daylily Events & Vida Events, if you’re from Southern Indiana, or Arbor & Bloom Events, if you’re in the Indianapolis area!

I’m sending you guys so much love & do not hesitate to reach out if I can help with anything at all!