The COVID-19 pandemic turned the wedding industry upside down. Weddings planned for the Spring and Summer were canceled or postponed, and florists have been reeling. Everything seems so up-in-the-air right now.
While there’s no way to know when in-person group weddings will return, we do know that they will return. That’s why it’s so important to start preparing now. You’ll have to be able to get up and running in a short timeframe once these weddings start happening.
At the same time, you’ll have to put in longer-term preparations for weddings that are just starting their planning stages. That planning has to happen virtually, so you need to have a strong online presence.
Here are a few tips to help you with both scenarios.
5 tips to prepare for postponed weddings
- Stay informed and up-to-date. While it’s a waiting game right now, things are changing day to day and week to week. Spend time every day informing yourself about the latest news from your local government as to when things may reopen so that you can share the latest news with others. The more informed you are, the more people will come to you as a trusted resource.
- Keep in regular contact with fellow wedding industry professionals. Schedule regular zoom calls or touch bases with local wedding planners, venue managers, and others in the industry. By reaching out and staying in touch, you’re showing them that you’re available and that you care. When things open up, you’ll be one of the first they contact.
- Speak with your vendors regularly. Your vendors are your lifeline, so regular contact with them is vital. Discuss different scenarios with them and come up with a game plan for each. Make sure you’re communicating with them about their sanitizing practices so that you can calm any anxieties for the wedding party.
- Share updates online. Don’t skirt the issue of the pandemic: Communicate clearly and often. Make it easy for your customers to get information about where things stand. Keep them in the loop by posting regular updates on your website and social media pages. You can even add links to local government websites and the CDC website so that they get the information they need.
- Be considerate of costs. As things progress through this pandemic, people will have greater anxiety about finances and budgets. It’s important to revisit budgets with customers who have postponed their weddings. It will ease their mind to know that you’re concerned about their big day and making it perfect for them—at a price they can afford.
5 tips to prepare for new weddings
- Get the word out now about 2021 wedding planning. Those who have canceled their 2020 plans will be rapidly filling up 2021 calendars. Contact them and let them know that you’re ready to plan their 2021 wedding. Anyone wanting to get married next year is going to have to move fast, as potential brides and grooms will be snapping up venues and resources.
- Connect with wedding planners. Set up meetings with local wedding planners and let them know that you’re available as a resource for their 2021 planning. Create 2021 look books of wedding arrangement ideas and send copies to the wedding planners you’ve already worked with, as well as ones you’d like to work with.
- Spread positivity on social media. With so much uncertainty and fear, why not spread a little positivity on your social media accounts? Those planning their wedding right now will be understandably anxious; finding positive, light, and helpful planning tips on your page will make them want to come back again and again.
- Share stories online. Invite your followers to share their love stories on your social media pages. Creating that excitement and sharing it online will increase engagement and followers. And who knows? It may just land you a few more clients in the process!
- Be flexible. Things will be a bit crazy over the next few months. Venues and dates may change more than once, so remain flexible for your customers. Give them as many options as you can, to show them that you can work with any location, budget, or time frame.
The overall message here is simple: Stay informed, positive, and flexible. There’s no way to know what may happen, so be prepared. Some customers may feel the economic hardship from the pandemic and will want a less expensive, less risky wedding. Others will want to shake off the effects of all this social isolation and throw a larger event where they can gather with loved ones. Be prepared for both, and you’ll see great results.
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Equiflor
www.equiflor.com
RioRoses
www.rioroses.com