Is COVID-19 Wrecking Your 2020 Wedding Plans?
There’s no question that the spread of coronavirus is taking its toll across the board. People’s daily lives are in limbo, as are their actual livelihoods, in many cases. Businesses are being heavily affected. Restaurants and bars are shutting down, and the CDC has issued a serious recommendation that people practice “social distancing,” not gathering in groups of more than 10, and maintaining a distance of 6 feet. So what does this mean for 2020 Weddings?
Of course the coronavirus situation is wreaking its own special havoc within the wedding industry. Couples who have poured their hearts and souls into wedding plans are faced with the dilemma of how to proceed now in the light of this global pandemic. Some have chosen to push ahead, and go through with their events despite the potential risk of spreading the virus further, while others have chosen to postpone their Chattanooga weddings, and reschedule them when things calm down.
But What About Your Plans?
If you find yourself in this scenario and don’t know what to do about your plans, here are some key things to consider.
1- How many guests are you expecting, and who among them could be at high risk for contracting the coronavirus?
2- How flexible are your vendors? Is rescheduling– though not ideal– a viable option for your event?
3- Could you elope or have a smaller-than-planned ceremony with just close friends, and only worry about rescheduling the reception portion of your wedding?
4- How long do you have to make your postponement or cancellation decisions?
5- Has your city made any mandates that would overrule your personal preferences?
6- If you decide to push forward, are you okay with the fact that your event details will be greatly altered? Are you factoring in the likelihood that more and more vendors and guests will likely drop out as the date draws nearer?
According to a recent NPR story, Americans spent a collective $54 billion dollars on more than 2 million weddings just last year, and we are watching those numbers plummet at a mindblowing rate due to coronavirus. This is throwing a wrench in wedding plans for many couples, but it’s certainly having an adverse effect on a lot of jobs within the industry as well. Wedding vendors from tent rental companies and wedding photographers to caterers and beyond are watching their calendar events disappear in real time.
Q & A With Chattanooga Tent
During this quite unpredictable time, Chattanooga Tent is working hard to preserve the safety of clients and employees, while also seeking to approach things with compassion on the forefront. Below is a Q and A with management to help highlight their procedures and policies, as well as their stances on the current state of things in light of the events surrounding COVID-19.
Q: What are your regular policies on postponing/rescheduling rentals/reservations?
A: Our standard terms are as follows:
DEPOSIT AND BALANCE PAYMENTS
A deposit is due and payable when Agreement is signed. Balance is due 10 days prior to installation. Full deposit is refundable if Agreement is canceled 90 days (or more) prior to erection date. 50% of deposit is refundable if cancellation occurs 31 to 89 days prior to erection date. Should a cancellation be made 30 days or less to erection date, NO REFUND WILL BE MADE.
CANCELLATION PENALTIES
If ordered equipment is loaded, (usually 1 to 2 days prior to erection date), and cancellation occurs, the client is responsible for seventy-five percent of the Agreement total; if the equipment is delivered to the site and cancellation occurs, the client is responsible for eighty percent of the agreement total; if the equipment is delivered and set up and cancellation occurs, the client is responsible for one hundred percent of the Agreement total. The deposit shall be applied toward the balance due.
Q: What is CTC’s stance on already scheduled events? Do you fall on the cautious side of postpone/reschedule or push ahead and hope for the best?
A: We at Chattanooga Tent Company (CTC) are adhering to the CDC’s guidelines for live events. This is an unprecedented occurrence, and we understand and sympathize with how difficult this is for our customers to have to deal with. Therefore, for this current pandemic we are waiving the cancellation policies and allowing for cancellations. If it is postponed we just apply the current deposit to the new date. If you have to cancel, we will refund the deposit.
Q: Has Chattanooga Tent seen the effect of coronavirus on its upcoming events schedule? If so, how?
A: The Coronavirus has hit the live event industry extremely hard. I cannot tell you how many weddings, festivals, conventions, company meetings, etc., that have been cancelled due to this pandemic. There are so many people and companies affected by this. The majority of our events through mid-May have already been cancelled. We’re happy to work with anyone if they want to “hope for the best,” however, we have to operate within whatever guidelines the government mandates. If the government or CDC says no larger event than 10 people, we will stay within those recommended guidelines.
Q: What are your thoughts and feelings about the CDC’s recommendations about social distancing as it pertains to weddings and other events?
A: They’re the medical experts. We will follow whatever directives they give regarding live events.
Q: What kinds of policies have been implemented or changed at CTC in the face of the coronavirus spread?
A: We’ve altered our standards terms as far as cancellation, and we are following CDC/government guidelines. We are also taking extra precautions as far as cleaning and disinfecting our equipment.
Q: Can you share what proactive measure Chattanooga Tent has taken/made as a business throughout all these changing CDC directives?
A: We have reached out to our current customers for April and May to see if they were planning on moving forward as planned or if they wanted to reschedule. Currently, we are not required to close our business, but we have actively divided our staff into two groups that will work in two week time periods. Everyone who can work is doing so.
Q: How are other vendors handling these mandates? How do your policies align with others in the industry?
A: Most of the other vendors we have talked to on a local and national basis are following CDC guidelines.
Q: What advice do you have for people with planned weddings and events as they try to navigate this unforeseen obstacle?
A: Be flexible, and contact your event rental provider and other vendors in order to assess potential dates before setting a new date. And most importantly– don’t panic.