Weddings, Photoshoots and the Coronavirus - My Action Plan

** At this time we are OPEN **

Table of Contents

How I will help

Coronavirus tips and advice

Coronavirus FAQ for wedding clients

Coronavirus FAQ for portrait clients

Resources

Contact me

2020 on has shaped up to be a weird decade so far. My inbox is constantly pinging with COVID-19 updates, and it’s enough to make any sane person feel nervous.

I can only imagine how stressful this is to anyone planning a wedding.

So, I want to do my part to help. As a small business owner and wedding photographer, a big part of me is terrified about the coronavirus and its global impact. But I want to choose compassion over fear. Preparation over worry. 

So, I’ve created a corona-virus action plan. And thrown in some tips and advice as well.

My goal is to be understanding, easy-to-work-with, and flexible during all this COVID-19 chaos. I operate my photography business with core values of honesty, transparency, and respect. Your health and well being are my absolute TOP priority. I want to help ease your minds going forward, so you have one less thing to worry about at this time.

I am keeping up to date with all WHO and CDC recommendations and their small business advisories. I am also receiving local updates daily from local public Health to be aware of how the virus is impacting Ottawa/Gatineau and the greater Ottawa area. I am also keeping a close eye on my own health to make sure I don’t contract the virus or spread it.

How I will help

-I will be even MORE flexible with you about cancellations and postponements than it states in my contracts. I’ve gone into this in detail below. There are many unknowns right now due to COVID-19, and I want to help make photography one less stressful thing to worry about.

-I will wash my hands thoroughly before every wedding/photo shoot and avoiding touching my face during sessions.

-I won’t shake your hand or hug you when we meet. We can awkwardly wave, unless your okay with a good old fashioned hug haha.

-I will not touch you, and I will keep a 5 ft distance if possible during sessions unless you request a specific shot that requires me to get closer. I will choose lenses that let me stay a little further away.

-If you want, I can wear a mask during sessions/weddings. Please let me know if you’d prefer this.

-I frequently carpool with people to sessions; if you want, I am happy to drive separately at no extra cost to minimize contact.

-I will give you the option to Skype or facetime instead of meet over drinks/dinner in person.

-I will be honest with you about my own health and my travel schedule.

-I will minimize my personal exposure to large events, sick people, and crowded places as much as possible.

Coronavirus tips and advice

-Don’t panic! We’ll get through this!

-Wash your hands more frequently, for 20+ seconds. And don’t touch your face.

-Be honest with others about your health and travel. Be honest with yourself. Now is not the time to pretend like you are healthy if you are feeling off. Stay home. Reschedule stuff.

-If you are getting married and have event insurance, check to see if your insurance covers anything impacted by the Coronavirus.  A lot of insurance companies are sneaky and they will NOT cover stuff. It’s good to know in advance!

-If you are getting married, keep your guests posted about ways you can help them! Post on your wedding website about the virus situation in the wedding location, and tell sick guests to PLEASE stay home. Tell people what precautions you will be taking as their wedding host. Keep them updated with travel plans. Communication goes a long way. Use your wedding website as a tool!

-Include creative COVID-19 precautions during your wedding. Cute hand sanitizers, hand-washing-stations, masks, or gloves for dancing. Maybe rent an extra-large dance floor, so people don’t have to be so close together. Space tables out more. Find ways to be extra hygienic and make people feel safe.

-Get creative about ways to include people who can’t be there. Worried that your grandparents or immunocompromized guests can’t make it? Find a way to live stream your ceremony and as much of the wedding as possible, so they can watch from afar. Or hire a videographer to capture the day for them to see later.

-Communicate with vendors as much as possible if you are considering postponing your event. The worst thing is to cancel last minute! Most of our businesses will take a huge hit this year from the virus, so preparing for slower cash flow is essential. We are trying our best to help clients, but you can help us too by being super candid about everything!

-Be open to having a smaller wedding than you originally anticipated. It could be really special! I love photographing elopements, and I’d be happy to help you plan one instead of a bigger event.

-Remember, we are all in this together. We are all a little scared. We are all getting hit economically and worried about loved ones getting sick. Be kind. Be understanding. It will go a long way!

Coronavirus FAQ for wedding clients

Postponing your wedding due to Coronavirus

I completely understand that you may need to delay your event due to travel restrictions, quarantines, fear for the health of family members, or being sick yourself. If you decide to postpone your wedding to a new date, your deposit will transfer over, as long as I’m not already booked on the new date. Please reach out to me if you need to change dates so that I can accommodate you! I’m here to help.

If you move your wedding to a date I am not available, I will offer a credit for future sessions, for all retainers paid.  There is no need for you to loose out on that retainer.

Canceling your wedding due to Coronavirus

Don’t want to postpone your wedding and need to flat-out cancel due to the virus? I understand. Here are two options:

-Cancel it, and I can offer a credit for future sessions, for all retainers paid. There is no need for you to loose out on that retainer.

-OR, elope! You can have an intimate elopement somewhere in nature, away from the virus and others. You can keep your original date or change it to a new one that I have available, and we’ll transfer the deposit to the new date. We can adjust the package you already booked and create a new timeline. You can invite a smaller number of guests (or none!). I’ve photographed many elopements over the years, and I’m happy to help make suggestions, come up with locations, and guide you through creating a day that is still incredibly special.

What happens if I get sick before your wedding

If I feel sick (cough, fever, body aches) before your wedding, I will inform you as soon as possible and ask how you would like to proceed. I vow to be honest with you about my own health so that you can make an educated decision about your event. Here are three options:

-If you still want me to document the event, I will wash my hands frequently, wear a mask, use hand sanitizer hourly, and avoid physical contact with guests. We can discuss exactly what would make you feel the most comfortable.

-If you want me to stay home, I will secure a talented associate replacement photographer to photograph the event in my place. I will still edit all your photos myself in my editing style. I will also give you a 10% discount off your total package to compensate for having a different photographer on the day of.

-If you want to find another photographer by yourself, I I will offer a credit for future sessions, for all retainers paid. There is no need for you to loose out on that retainer.

What happens if I get quarantined before your wedding and cannot photograph it

If, for some reason I am quarantined (in Canada or abroad), and unable to photograph your wedding, I will contact you immediately. I will give you two options:

-I can secure an associate replacement photographer to photograph the event in my place. I will still edit all your photos myself in my editing style. I will also give you a 10% discount off your total package to compensate for having a different photographer on the day of.

-OR, If you just want to work with another photographer, I will offer a credit for future sessions, for all retainers paid. There is no need for you to loose out on that retainer.

Coronavirus FAQ for portrait clients

Postponing your photoshoot due to Coronavirus

If you want to delay your photoshoot due to the virus, please reach out, and I can send you a list of new date options. Your deposit will transfer to a new date.

Canceling a photoshoot due to Coronavirus

If you want to cancel a photoshoot due to the virus and travel restrictions/quarantines, I will offer a credit for future sessions, for all retainers paid. There is no need for you to loose out on that retainer.

What happens if YOU get sick before our photoshoot

If you are feeling unwell (cough, fever, body aches) before a photoshoot, please email me, and we can postpone it until you are healthier! Seriously, it’s not a problem at all.

What happens if I get sick before our photoshoot

If I feel sick (cough, fever, body aches) before your photoshoot, I will inform you as soon as possible and ask how you would like to proceed. I vow to be honest with you about my own health so that you can make an educated decision. Here are two options:

-If you’d like, we can postpone the photoshoot by several weeks. The deposit will transfer to the new date.

-If you cannot postpone, I will offer a credit for future sessions, for all retainers paid. There is no need for you to loose out on that retainer.

Resources

World Health Organization

CDC

Ottawa Public Health

Contact me

If you have any other questions, please reach out and ask! I am here to help.