Getting married in 2020 - what about Corona? — Sandra Ardizzone Photography

//you can read this blogpost in German right here | Diesen Blogpost könnt ihr auf Deutsch hier lesen

With the coronavirus spreading, many of us are unsure of how this situation is going to evolve. While some countries have already closed their borders, life in Switzerland mostly seems to go on as usual. As long as we’re not personally affected, we tend to ignore the mayhem around us. But what if you are affected? What if you’re planning your wedding amidst this uncertain time? I have tried to find answers to some questions you might have about your wedding. Above all, I suggest you take a deep breath and try to calmly analyze the situation. And above all: Don’t panic!

For almost all of us this is a completely new situation and we don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. Please, don’t believe everything you read online but instead get your news from credible sources like your government or trustworthy media outlets. Also, please follow the hygiene-rules implemented by the WHO and our governments and try to keep not just yourself, but above all the people considered to be especially at risk, healthy. If each and every one of us helps to keep the virus from spreading, the chance of it affecting your wedding decreases.

Will you still be photographing our wedding?

I can assure you: As long as I’m healthy and able to get to your wedding, I will photograph it. Of course I will always follow the government’s regulations but as long as they stay the same as they are right now I’ll be right by your side!

This counts as long as I’m feeling well, of course. Usually I don’t let a simple cough or a bit of fever stop me from being there for you, but this time it’s different. Should I show symptoms usually associated with COVID-19 I will reach out to you and find a replacement to photograph your wedding instead of me. As an entrepreneur there are multiple reasons throughout the year that could prevent me from being able to show up to an event I’m booked for. For this case I have a big network of photographers who can stand in for me if required. No matter if it’s because of COVID-19 or for some other reason.

What happens to the money we’ve paid?

This depends on the contracts you’ve signed with each vendor. It could of course happen that you’ll be left with at least some of the costs, should you have to cancel. Get in touch with your venue, with the civil registry’s office, or with your vendors like florist, stylist or DJ.

Personally, I will apply your retainer to a new date should the government proclaim a ban on events that includes your wedding. In that case, it’s really important for me that you get in touch to set the new date. Of course I will try to be as flexible as possible for you but there’s already a few dates that I’ve been booked for in 2021. In that case I will issue a gift certificate covering at least half of the retainer which you can in turn use for a shoot, an album, a print order or similar.

Should you personally decide to postpone the wedding whie there’s no bans or regulations on your wedding date I will need to keep a certain amount of your retainer. In these times I don’t feel it’s right to hold on to what’s been agreed on in the contract but to find an amicable solution for both parties. In this case, the maximum amount I would keep is the retainer you’ve already paid me to cover the expenses I’ve already had. The same goes here: Please let me know what you decide and why. I’m a big believer in discussing the situation and finding a solution that works for everyone!

Please consider that I am a one-woman-show. Every cancelled event means a significant dip in income for my little business so it’s essential for me to know what’s coming in order to be able to adapt to this new situation.

Can we still celebrate?

Many couples have this exact question at the moment. The way I see it, there’s a few options:

You decide to wait and see what happens
You cancel the wedding altogether
You postpone the wedding
You still do the wedding, but in a different way

You and your wedding could be especially be affected if you’re planning on getting married in the months of March-May. In Switzerland, there’s a ban on events with more than 100 people and also in restaurants it’s forbidden to have more than 50 people present, patrons and employees combined*. Many of the weddings I photograph fall into that category. At the moment we’ll have to wait and see how the situation develops and we should follow the government’s directions.

*// UPDATE: As of March 16th, Switzerland is on effective soft-lockdown. That means: All the restaurants and event-venues are closed. Weddings (in lots of places even civil ceremonies) are forbidden at least until April 19th.

*// UPDATE #2: On April 16th, the government has decided to prolong the measures in effect. That means, that until June 8th gatherings with more than 5 people are forbidden. Restaurants won’t be allowed to open until a later, yet unspecified date. Unfortunately, that means that weddings that were supposed to be held until then have to pe postponed if there’s more than 5 people present.

*// UPDATE #3: On July 8th new restrictions have been decided upon by the cantons of Aargau, Solothurn and both Basel. Now, the maximum amount of people per room at an event is 100. These people aren’t allowed to mingle, which effectively means a maximum number of 100 guests for a wedding. Because mingling is what ti’s all about, right? These restrictions will are effective immediately and until August 16th.

All things considered, I really recommend you think about whether you still want to go through with your wedding, even if you could. Remember: The question isn’t just if you feel fine. You could still be a carrier and spread the virus to other people. Weddings are celebrations of love. That means that there’s tears, hugs and dances. People get close to each other and that’s the perfect setting for spreading the virus. Also, there’s usually elderly people at weddings whose immune-system isn’t as good as yours might be. It’s essential to protect these people!

So one simple option would be to reduce the number of your guests. I know, you’ve put a lot of work and thought into your guest-list and everyone’s probably already excited to be a part of your big day. But no one saw the current situation coming and I’m sure everyone will understand it, if you decide on downsizing the whole wedding. Also be understanding of people who themselves decide not to attend!

Of course you can also postpone the wedding. In this case I recommend you get in touch with your venue and your vendors quickly. Because not only will you and probably other couples be moving their weddings to next year, there’s also the couples that would have “regularly” gotten married in 2021. So the free dates might be sparse and it’s definitely not a bad idea to lock the date, the venue and the vendors down as soon as you can. Also, try to consider a wedding date on a weekday, a Sunday or during off-season. Also, try to consider a wedding date on a weekday, a Sunday or during off-season. For us vendors it’s a very difficult season and if every couple would move their 2020-wedding to a Saturday in 2021 we’d lose a lot of our income. So why not plan a gorgeous winter wedding, a Friday bonanza or a holiday-date on a Thursday (like Pentecost or similar)? Your loved ones will definitely gladly take a day off to celebrate with you!

And then, there’s the easiest and most intimate solution that I totally advocate for:

Let’s elope!

An elopement is an intimate celebration with very few people. This can be just the two of you or your 5-10 closest friends and family (who aren’t considered to be part of the “risk-group”). You invite those people, grab some comfy shoes and hike into a beautiful spot in nature without other people around. Here you can have your ceremony with the ceremony master you’ve already booked overlooking an amazing landscape. Or you can simply read some personal vows to each other by the riverbanks, you can ask your friends and family to say a few words or have a singer present to serenade you and your love on a mountaintop. With an elopement, there’s so much space for your ideas and your creativity! Just do whatever you’d like to do. Depending on the location, you can also bring a wedding-arch and/or a table and have dinner outside, should you like that. I guarantee you: A wedding like this will stay with you forever! It’s going to be on a totally different emotional level and those moments you’ve shared with your partner will resonate with you more than any virus-overshadowed event ever could ;) By choosing this option, you’ll still have the wedding on your planned date and memories for a lifetime. And who says you can’t still have a small or big party next summer?

I would love to help you with organizing your dream elopement. Let’s get in touch!