How the Coronavirus Will Impact Your Wedding in Hawaii

Okay, It’s time to address the current situation our world is facing, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is all anyone can talk about, worry about, and wonder about right now!

How is this going to affect my wedding in Hawaii?

We would hate to see you lose out on money, have to cancel bookings or add more stress to the wedding planning process. The last thing you want is to ultimately have to postpone or cancel what is supposed to be the happiest day of your life!

As the status of the Coronavirus is constantly changing in the world (and Hawaii) we feel that the best thing we can do as one of your trusted vendors is to keep you informed so that you can make the best decision regarding your wedding in Hawaii.

First, we advise you to:

  • Educate yourself from reliable sources on the current status of the virus in Hawaii (and anywhere you or guests may be traveling from).  We recommend the World Health Organization and the CDC.
  • Maintain social distancing, wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, avoid touching your nose, face and mouth, isolate and practice respiratory hygiene as protective measures against Coronavirus.
  • If you feel or suspect symptoms call your healthcare provider for medical advice ASAP.
  • Communicate with your vendors and planner
  • Be smart and make an informed decision regarding your wedding plans.
  • Be open with your guests regarding the situation – we recommend updating your wedding website with a status to be able to quickly send any questioning guests to one place.
  • Above all, STAY CALM!! This is an uneasy time for everyone right now!

How OUR Team will be Handling a Postponed Wedding

In the case of postponement, Aloha Bridal Connections will not charge any additional transfer fees, we simply work with you to agree on a requested date change. Our goal is to protect the hard efforts and investments made into your special day. We will assist you in making adjustments with your other vendors. We want to encourage you to bring up the current situation with the Coronavirus during the booking process with vendors so that everyone is on the same page.

With the current status of the situation we feel there are 3 options:

  1. Wait it out, but have a backup plan! 
  2. Postpone to another date 
  3. Cancel and forfeit any non-refundable deposits

Based on the newly released CDC guidelines in efforts to control large group events as of March 16, 2020, all events over 10 guests within the next 8-weeks (until May 11, 2020) are advised to be canceled/postponed.  

With heavy hearts and without knowing the trend of how this pandemic will continue to affect Hawaii (and the world), our CURRENT advice is as follow:

  • Weddings from Now – Mid-May recommended postponement
  • Weddings from Mid-May – End of August consider postponement

If Changes or Cancellations Are Made

As we are all living and dealing with the rising issues concerning the virus we DO believe you can expect vendors to be much more understanding in terms of making changes to wedding plans. Every couple is likely to be addressed on a case-to-case basis as we can all understand that every situation is different. For the most part, 90% of Vendors have a non-refundable deposit policy. Any amounts paid are additionally non-refundable BUT they are transferable if clients reschedule within 365 days.

As this is the first time we have had to deal with this most vendors are being very understanding for rescheduling as long as it is within a year. For the most part, Vendors are small business owners. For them, this is not only a loss of money but also their time often supplies or products and the possibility of getting another booking for what would have been your wedding date.

Postponing Vs. Canceling

Our team highly recommends postponing over canceling. Vendors will be much more lenient with this as they are aware of what we are all up against right now. Canceling a wedding will result in a significant loss of money for you as well as your vendors.

Here are the steps we recommend taking to postpone:

  1. Inform your vendors ASAP (New dates are already starting to book up quickly)
  2. Go over all of your vendor contracts, review the cancellation policies and make sure you fully understand your options (we are here to help you with this!!).
  3. Let your guests know – reach out personally as well as update your wedding website with the most current status/information on your wedding.
  4. Grieve – This is not to be taken lightly! We know you will be feeling many emotions regarding postponing your special day. Allow yourself to feel them and know that they are valid. We sympathize with you and are here to offer any kind of support we can.

**Postponing does not guarantee the same vendors or venues will be available for your new date however our team is committed to doing our best to make this happen for you!

Tips for Flying to Hawaii (Share this with your guests)

  • Wash your hands often!
  • Avoid touching your face
  • Sanitize your airplane seat and tray table
  • Wear a mask (not necessary but a good extra precaution)
  • Boost your immune system before (ie: Vitamin C supplements)

We are here to Help

There is still SO MUCH unknown surrounding the Coronavirus. The progression of the situation is constantly changing, all we can do at this time is stay as educated as possible. We encourage everyone to remain calm.  We highly recommend postponement over canceling your event.

Please reach out to anyone on our team with any questions or concerns on the matter! We are all in this together and are here to support you and relieve as much stress as possible from your big day!!

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