Let's have a chat about Covid-19.

2020 was an extremely difficult and stressful year for everyone, after our lives were turned upside down through no fault of our own due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many have lost their loved ones, jobs, businesses and their dream wedding. Many have planned to have the wedding of their dreams only for it be be postponed due to the national lockdown or by choosing to postpone due to the restrictions set in place by the government. During these difficult times I have supported all of my clients as best I can and I will continue to do so.

I have every intention of attending all of the weddings I have booked in and there would only be a few reasons that I am unable to attend which I will list below.
 

•     If I test positive for Covid-19 and have to isolate.

If this were the case, I already work extremely closely with other local photographers due to having a second photographer included in my my wedding packages. If I test positive I would provide you with associate photographer to shoot your wedding. I would ensure they have the same photography style as myself. They would photograph your day and I would edit your photographs in my signature editing style once your wedding has taken place.

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•     If you or any of your guests have tested positive for your wedding and they will still be in attendance at your wedding.

If you or any of your guests who will be attending your wedding have tested positive recently for Covid-19, are choosing not to isolate and will still be in attendance on the day, I will not be able to attend your wedding. Or if I attend your wedding and become aware that someone in attendance is currently positive for Covid-19 I will leave your wedding immediately. A Covid-19 questionnaire will be sent to you one week prior to your wedding date and it is requested that this be completed in full and returned to me two days prior to your wedding date. 

 

•     If you choose to postpone your wedding to a date that I am already booked for.

Unfortunately if you choose to postpone your wedding without prior consultation to check my availability and I am already booked, I will have no other choice than to take this as cancellation of your contract. I do advise all of my clients that if they are considering  postponing to provide me with a few alternative dates so that I can provide you with my up to date availability. Due to Covid-19, as you can imagine, my diary for 2022 is filling up fast and unfortunately I cannot guarantee that I will be available.

 

•     If you are choosing to move your wedding to 2023. 

Unfortunately due to the impact of Covid-19 on my business, I am not looking to open my 2023 diary at present. Again, should you choose to move to a date in 2023 I will have to take this as cancellation of your contract.

I do acknowledge how difficult this last year has been for everyone. As a wedding supplier I know that not only myself but also fellow wedding suppliers are all struggling and a lot of us have had to look for alternative jobs to make ends meet due to not receiving any financial support (grants) from the government (myself included).  I love my job, I really do and I couldn't think of anything I would rather be doing, but it is with a very heavy heart I've had to make some extremely difficult decisions in respect of postponements. I moved every postponement free of charge up until the end of November 2021, with some couples postponing 3, 4, 5 times.
 

However postponements will now be affected in the follow way:

• Postponements during a national lockdown imposed by the government will remain at no extra cost for your first postponement. Postponements further to this will require a new booking fee of £145.00 to secure any further dates. 

• Postponements to a date in 2021 or 2022 will incur a new booking fee of £145.00. 

• All postponements will also now require you to sign an amended booking form to confirm the change in date, and your previous booking booking fee will also be carried over to your new booking.

• When postponing the new fee will be due upon your original wedding date and the remainder of your balance will be due one month prior to your wedding as per your contract. 

I imagine you might be wondering how I could possibly think of charging any additional fees in such a difficult time, so please let me explain. By choosing to postpone your wedding I lose a day of income, by postponing twice I loose two days of income. By having a second photographer included in the majority of my wedding packages that is also a loss of income for them too. These dates are also dates where I may have turned away other bookings for or which could have been booked by other couples who are happy to go ahead with their weddings regardless of restricted numbers. Currently we have no idea how long this pandemic will last, I have already found that many couples are stuck in a cycle of postponing over and over and over again, and my heart breaks for them, it really does. I do understand why postponements are taking place and I would love for everyone to have the wedding day they have dreamed of, however by postponing this prevents me from earning on the dates that are currently held and which I have already turned bookings away for and it also prevents me from working and earning on the days that are no longer being used. Please also bear in mind that the cost of running a business increases from year to year, and unfortunately I am unable to continue to absorb these losses or my business will not survive. 

 

Please do not think that I don't understand because I do, it absolutely fine for you to postpone and I completely understand all of the reasons why you choose to do this. I'm just advising why I, as a business am unable to continue working in the way in which I did and I can assure you that this decision has not been made lightly.

2020 was been an awful year for all of us, one which most of us would like to forget, and with 2021 off to a difficult start I hope this will be one which we will all get through  (even while keeping socially distant and wearing face masks).

If you have any questions regarding the above or would like to have a chat, please just let me know. 

Take care, stay safe
Nicki xx