Photo: Black Coffee Photo Co.
Everyone talks about supporting local coffee shops and restaurants during this time, but have you thought about how you can contribute to helping small business wedding pros? You know, the ones that are dedicating their creativity, passion, and experience to helping create flawless weddings for couples in Kansas City.
The reality is that at this point everyone has been affected by the virus one way or another. And while working from home and trying to find a store with toilet paper are certainly an inconvenience, some of the wedding professionals here in Kansas City are trying to figure out how to soften the blow of impact that COVID-19 has had on their livelihood and their business.
That’s why we want to share some ways that you can help in keeping their hopes up and businesses open, so that once this disaster has passed, they can continue serving couples to make wedding dreams come true.
Here are some easy ways on how you can contribute to helping small business wedding pros:
LIKE, COMMENT, TAG, SHARE WRITE A REVIEW PURCHASE GIFT CARDS ORDER OUTSIDE SERVICES
If you’re a couple whose wedding has been affected by the impact of COVID-19, here’s some ways you can help when rescheduling with your wedding pros:
DON’T CANCEL – POSTPONE PAY INVOICES EARLY RESCHEDULE IN 2020 RESCHEDULE IN 2021 GENEROUS CASH TIPS
LIKE, COMMENT, TAG, SHARE
Current Clients: While most of us are quarantined, you can still get social online. Follow local vendors to keep up with their amazing work and use them for wedding inspiration for your day. Even if your wedding is 90% planned out, keep following! That way your timeline is filled with more pretty wedding design pictures, rather than constant COVID-19 updates.
Like their Instagram posts and share them to your Instagram story, comment on their posts and tag your friends—a few likes, tags and comments go a long way!
Past Clients: If you’re recently married, share pictures from your wedding day and tag the vendors. Or comment on a vendor’s post and tag a few relevant friends that are engaged. Whether or not your wedding was a few months ago or years ago, go to the Facebook page of each vendor you used for your wedding and invite your Facebook friends to “Like” each page. These quick, costless, and easy ways are some of the best actions you can take when supporting from afar.
Family/Friends: Do you have a brother or aunt that’s a small business owner or a best friend who is following their entrepreneurial dreams? Wedding industry or not, help them out by sharing their social media content! Recommend people to their business, share their posts and encourage those in your social media following to use their services.
WRITE A REVIEW
Current Clients: If you are currently working out your wedding details with vendors, there is still some good news to share with others, even though the wedding day hasn’t arrived yet. Go on their Facebook or Google Listing and share the positive experience you’ve had thus far with your wedding pros.
Past Clients: If you were one of the lucky couples that hosted their wedding a few months or even weeks before the mandated shutdowns, go write reviews for your vendor team. It takes just a few minutes to submit your great experience with them. Not only does it help future couples, but it also provides words of affirmation and support for wedding pros that are navigating this situation.
Family/Friends: Whether you’ve experienced their services firsthand or not, you’re the one that sees them on the frontlines, day-in and day-out creating beautiful weddings. Write a review about all that they do for their clients, the efforts they go through, and the long hours they work to put their clients first.
PURCHASE GIFT CARDS
Current Clients: If you already know you plan to use a certain wedding professional for your wedding, but haven’t booked or paid for their services yet, reach out to purchase a gift card to use later down the road when you need it. While most wedding pros don’t have standard “gift cards”, they will create something specific for you. This is great for photo sessions, hair and makeup services and gratuities, and bar services. Ultrapom Event Rental is even offering 10% off rentals if you purchase a gift card right now. Helping a small business and saving…. is there anything better?!
Past Clients: Want to show support to the wedding pros that helped make your big day a dream? Gift cards are a great way to help boost small business! Maybe you have an event later this year that will require hair and/or makeup services? Or a cake for a birthday party? Or flowers for Mother’s Day? While some vendors may not have traditional “gift cards”, they will create something specific for you in return for your support.
Family/Friends: With the impact COVID-19 is starting to have on small businesses nationwide, there is a strong outpouring of support, regardless of the industry—especially at the local level. Let’s keep this positivity going! If you have a wedding pro in your family or as a friend, ask them how you can purchase a gift card to use for a feauture service. Maybe that close friend of yours happens to be a wedding photographer and you’re long overdue for new family portraits? No problem, just use the gift card you purchased from her when it’s picture time!
ORDER OUTSIDE SERVICES
Current Clients, Past Clients & Family/Friends: Many local wedding professionals serve more than justthe wedding industry. Cake decorators can also do birthday cakes, cupcakes and other specialty desserts. Do you need some specialty desserts to pair with your wino-Wednesday? Or possibly a Corona-Cake?
Florists also make arrangements for special deliveries. Could you order a special something to deliver to your Grandma or loved one to show them that social distancing doesn’t mean that you don’t love them or are thinking about them any less?
Catering companies also do meal prep. Brancato’s has been donating food to local charities, while Olive Events have been helping to prepare meals for front-line responders of the virus. Donating to their causes or contacting your caterer to ask if you can do something special for the medical and first responders in your area will not only give your caterer the chance to stay busy, but you are also passing it forward to those that are working endless hours to take care of our community!
DON’T CANCEL – POSTPONE
Right now, couples are scrambling to make sense of the unfortunate situation they’re facing – being forced to cancel or postpone their big day. Wedding professionals included. If you are having to make that difficult decision, know that wedding pros are just as devastated as you are, as they are being forced to put their livelihood on hold due to COVID-19.
Here’s how you can help: It was hard work to find the perfect venue, florist, DJ, etc. Save yourself the extra time and energy by having to start from scratch – instead of cancelling, postpone your wedding and coordinate with your chosen vendors. They’ll work with you and your entire vendor team to ensure your original wedding plan remains intact as much as possible.
PAY INVOICES EARLY (or within the original payment schedule)
The monetary repercussions of COVID-19 seem limitless. Vendors recognize that this may be taking a toll on your household, and their thoughts are certainly with you during this time if that is the case. But if you are in a situation where your income is not affected, and you have the ability to get ahead on wedding costs, this is the perfect time to do it!
Here’s how you can help: If you’re rescheduling and not cancelling, pay your invoices early, or pay installments according to the original wedding date’s schedule. This will allow vendors to bring in some income for their business during this time.
RESCHEDULE TO ANY REMAINING DATES IN 2020, PARTICULARLY ON A NON-PEAK DAY
Wedding industry peak days are Saturdays. But the reality is that there are only so many Saturday’s in a year and if you try to reschedule to a Saturday in 2021, the vendors (especially the venues) are most likely already booked. Getting married on a Friday or Sunday might not have been originally what you had in mind but doing so won’t change the way the most important moments of your wedding day will be remembered. Getting ready with your girls, doing your first look, walking down the aisle, and your first dance will all hold just as much importance on a Friday or Sunday as they would have on a Saturday.
Here’s how you can help: Talk to your venue to see if there are any Friday or Sunday dates left in 2020 that work for you and your vendors. Some venues are offering incentives for rescheduling on a non-Saturday in 2020.
RESCHEDULE TO A NON-PEAK MONTH IN 2021
January, February, and March are wedding industry non-peak months. If you are being forced to reschedule, book your wedding during the first three months of year to help your vendors fill their off-season.
Here’s how you can help: Find a day that’s available in January, February, or March 2021 and secure that date. As it turns out, having a chance of snow on your wedding day isn’t nearly as intimidating has having to navigate a worldwide pandemic.
GENEROUS CASH TIPS
If you are moving forward with hosting a small gathering or are rescheduling within 2020, consider upping the ante on your tip. Chances are you have been working with them relentlessly to reschedule your wedding and they are going above and beyond to do everything they can to keep the exact same vision you had for your original date. Showing appreciation for their dedication to you during this time of chaos would be warmly appreciated.
Here’s how you can help: Remember to tip your wedding professional when appropriate and give a few percent more than the general rule of thumb. Your gratitude to them can go a long, long way.
ENGAGED COUPLES THAT HAVEN’T STARTED PLANNING
Don’t worry. This will all pass! In the meantime, you can start researching and reaching out to local wedding pros and start booking your vendors. It is a benefit for both parties. For the vendors, your deposits can help them get through this tough time. And for you, getting some of your vendors locked in for your wedding will give you the reassurance that you will have the dream team you’ve always wanted. COVID-19 is going to cause a surplus of weddings in 2021, so do what you can to make sure you have your team in place sooner than later.
Here’s how you can help: Check out our KC Wedding Coronavirus Update, scroll down to the very bottom and explore a large list of local wedding vendors. Research which companies can best serve you on your wedding day, reach out to those who you are interested in, and start booking!
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