We’re in a very uncertain period of time right now. No one really knows what is going to happen, all we do know is that life is going to change for almost all of us in some capacity.
Family, jobs, holidays, weddings and the economy will all be impacted by covid-19 and the plans put in place to combat it.
Emmanuel Macron has said that “we are at war against an invisible and elusive enemy”, and has imposed an almost complete lockdown in France which will run for at least 15 days, (at the time of writing) as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus.
Most countries have already got travel restrictions in place, with the EU now planning to ban all non-essential travel.
With the lockdown in place and travel to and from Europe on the whole incredibly difficult, planning or having your wedding in France right now might seem an impossible task.
So what are the options if you have an upcoming wedding or are planning a future wedding in France?
Couples who have already booked
1) Check your Wedding Insurance – find out what exactly is covered. Options will vary depending on when your wedding is, and what payments have been made to your venue and vendors.
2) Talk to your Wedding Vendors – many will have already been in contact with you, and they will almost certainly want to work with you to find a suitable arrangement so you can still have your dream day! The ideal option for everybody involved will be to move to a different day.
Although this may be a big disappointment, it will be better than not being able to celebrate at all! And it will also give you some more time to source that perfect gift for the Bridesmaids.
This may involve some patience on both sides as you will both be trying to work out what do with multiple people at the same time – with travel being restricted, the best solution may be to have a group Skype or Zoom call!
But, if your wedding isn’t for a few months, you might want to see how things develop and evolve. Everyday we are getting new updates or advice to follow, so if you do have time, please take advantage.
3) Keep your guests up to date – as you’re meant to be travelling to France, so too are your guests! A really simple option is to get as many people as possible into a WhatsApp or Facebook messenger chat group. This way you can keep everyone up to date at the same time.
You will also want to make sure the information that they receive is accurate, so keeping a certain Uncle or Aunt under control and stopping them from sharing information that they heard from their neighbour might need to be considered! The best place for information will be from your country’s Foreign Office. They will set the guidelines and restrictions.
4) Stay safe – No matter what you decide, you, your guests and your vendors health are the most important thing.
Couples who have not yet booked
Do not be put off from traveling to France for your wedding! Although the near future is somewhat uncertain, the medium to long term future will be “business as usual”. There are a lot of fabulous wedding venues and vendors in France that want to make you big day special. If you have been in talks with a vendor about your future wedding, keep the dialogue open. And when you decide to go with someone, before you pay the deposit ask about cancellation policies.
Also you will need to be aware that many venues and vendors will be rearranging their current couples, so future dates may become sparse.
But, you do have time on your side, so there is no need to rush into anything just yet…!
So, the main thing here is to stay safe, take care and be sensible.
Much love
The French Wedding Style team xx
