Written: Tuesday, March 17th, 2020
To our 2020/2021 Clients,
This week has been very tough for all and we are still trying to learn how to navigate what is going on throughout the world and in our communities.
Now that we are back in Vancouver and in self quarantine, it has given us adequate time to process and come up with an action plan regarding this new COVID-19.
We have seen first-hand of how devastating this virus can be, given that we had just come from Spain during it’s lockdown, so we vow to do everything we can to help flatten the curve so that it doesn’t hit home so hard.
How We Will Help
- First, we want to start off by saying that your health and safety comes first. Period.
- We will remain to have flexible policies on rescheduling and postponements of your wedding/portrait sessions.
- We will NOT charge rescheduling fees.
- We will wash our hands thoroughly before every wedding/photoshoot and will avoid touching our faces before and during the session.
- Upon greeting, we will “air hug” you from a distance as opposed to hugging or shaking hands.
- We will maintain a distance of 6ft during sessions and will attempt to play charades to pose you 🙂 (we’re pretty good at it).
- We will wear face masks or a form of face covering at your request, and will do so in a heartbeat if you wish, no questions asked.
- We will have our separate modes of transportation to and from the shoot locations.
- We will stay away from public transport on our personal day-to-day or walk/ride our bikes.
- We will avoid large gatherings and will practice social distancing during this time (which will be easy because we’re always on our computers anyways).
- We vow to be completely honest with you regarding our own health.
COVID-19 – Tips and Advice
- Be transparent about your health and travel destinations. If something feels off, distance yourselves from others and contact a healthcare provider. Don’t worry about rescheduling, we’re super flexible and will work with you to find a date for your shoot.
- Check your event insurance and see if it covers anything in the event your wedding/event is impacted, be sure to read the fine print!
- If you are getting married, send a message to your guests and urge those who are feeling unwell to PLEASE stay at home. Inform them as to the measures you will be taking as a wedding host, including keeping them updated with travel plans. Your wedding website is a great tool to communicate. Or if you want, forward them to this post and they can read all about it!
- If you are getting married, be sure to include COVID-19 precautions, and then make it cute! Handsanitizers in beautiful jars, handwashing stations, masks, or gloves for dancing. It may be worth looking into expanding the dance floor so there is more breathing room. Space out tables so they aren’t so close together. We can come up with creative solutions together to make people feel safe and continue having lots of fun!
- If your grandparents or immunocompromised guests can’t make it, they can still join in on the fun with a live-streem of the ceremony and reception! If you hired us as videographers, we can also capture the event and show them a rough cut of the highlight film in a rush process, NO additional fees.
- Communicate with your vendors as much as you can if you plan to postpone your wedding. As wedding vendors, most of us will be taking a huge hit this year due to the virus, so preparing for slower cash flow is key for us. We promise to do our best to help our clients, and you can help us too by being honest with everything!
- In British Columbia, there is a ban of gatherings of 50 or more guests until March 31st (though this may change). Be openminded about potentially having a smaller wedding than anticipated. Elopements are a beautiful way to experience your marriage, and we’d be honoured to help you plan one instead of a bigger event.
- And if you do opt to elope, you can always plan a bigger celebration when this whole thing blows over.
- At the end of the day, this is affecting all of us. We are all worried about our parents and grandparents, family and friends. This is also going to be an economical hit for most of us and these will be trying times. Be kind to each other, take care of yourself, and it will go a long way!
FAQ for our 2020/2021 Wedding Clients
Postponing your wedding due to COVID-19
We completely understand that with the virus and ever-changing restrictions put in place, you may need to delay your event. If you decide to postpone your wedding to a new date, your retainer will transfer over so long as we are not already booked. We are putting all our current clients first, so please let us know ASAP if you have plans to postpone your wedding so that we may accomodate these changes. If you already have plans to postpone, speak with your venue in regards to options for new dates and let us know what those options are so we can book you in.
Canceling your wedding due to Coronavirus
If you don’t want to postpone your wedding and plan to cancel, we understand. Here are two options:
- If you decide to cancel, unfortunately we cannot offer a refund on the retainer, however, if we can re-book your original date with another client, we will refund the retainer in full.
- Elope! You can have an intimate elopement somewhere in nature and far away from the virus. You can keep your original date or change it to a new one that we have available, and we’ll transfer your retainer to the new date for a larger celebration. We’ll help you create a new timeline and fit in even more fun on your day. You can invite a smaller number of guests (or none!). We would be more than happy to help make suggestions, come up with locations, and guide you through creating a day that is still incredibly special.
What happens if we get sick before your wedding
If we feel sick and/or are exhibiting symptoms of having contracted COVID-19, you will be one of the first to know. Due to the seriousness of this virus, there is a strong chance that we will NOT be documenting your wedding.
Here are two options:
- We can secure an associate replacement photographer/videographer to document the event in my place. Your photographs/video footage will be edited by us in our own editing style to ensure a consistent look. You will also receive a 10% discount off your total package as compensation for having a different photographer/videographer on the day of.
- If you prefer to find you own photographer/videographer, we will issue you a full refund less any work that has already been performed.
What happens if we get quarantined before your wedding and cannot photograph it
If, for some reason we are quarantined, and unable to photograph your wedding, we will contact you immediately.
These are two options:
- We can secure an associate replacement photographer/videographer to document the event in my place. Your photographs/video footage will be edited by us in our own editing style to ensure a consistent look. You will also receive a 10% discount off your total package as compensation for having a different photographer/videographer on the day of.
- If you prefer to find you own photographer/videographer, we will issue you a full refund less any work that has already been performed.
What if I have traveled recently before your wedding?
We are currently home from Spain and are following the self-quarantine procedures and staying home, avoiding social contact. We are taking this extremely seriously, having witnessed how devastating the impacts are in Madrid and other parts of Spain.
We do not have any travel plans for the rest of the year, and will continue to update all our clients if that should change. We promise to remain transparent.
