This stunning five day wedding came together so beautifully with months of hard work and meticulous planning.
Different themes that were visually stunning, with delectable cuisines, foot tapping music and entertainment tailor-made for each occassion. All this and more made every single event memorable and an experience for the wedding guests.
Our team worked tirelessly round the clock taking care of guest hospitality for the 300 guests who flew in from around the world.
Here’s what you need to know about postponing or canceling your wedding due to coronavirus.
The world changed overnight even before we could grasp what was going on. It was peak wedding season when we heard whispers about coronavirus that soon grew into a noise that was hard to ignore and not long after that the world came to a grinding halt.
Couples who got married just before lock down were immensely lucky, but what about those who had paid for everything and the weddings were to take place soon. Where does this lock down leave them? Can they get refunds and start all over again, when can they safely start planning again? Then there are clients who have weddings booked as far out as November and December. Should they still go ahead with their plans? Will guests travel to attend? Will it be safe enough?
We don’t have answers to all these questions.
However over the past few weeks we thought hard about the next steps to safe
guard the interests of our existing clients as well as accepting future
bookings. Below are scenarios that most couples planning to get married this
year are facing and here’s our advice to them.
If
you plan on going ahead with the wedding as planned:
If you have wedding dates set in the near
future and, perhaps for auspicious reasons, you absolutely want to stick to
these dates we suggest you have a registered marriage and postpone the celebrations
with your loved ones until it is safe to do so.
If you have a wedding planned towards the end
of the year and you are restricted by family and work related factors to still
go ahead with the wedding as planned, we suggest you scale down the guest
list, cut down the number of functions and make the wedding a simpler, more intimate
and meaningful affair. Do make sure that there are no government restrictions
at the chosen venue on social gatherings before you move ahead with the plans.
Politely advise and request your guests if any one of them is feeling unwell
not to attend the wedding.
Another category of people you will need to be sensitive about are the elders in the family. For most Indian families and couples the blessings of their grandparents and elders during a wedding is not just cultural but an emotional aspect. During this time of COVID 19 care should be taken that they don’t have to travel long distances by flights or otherwise as they are most susceptible to health risks.
If
you plan on cancelling the wedding:
Most venues, vendors and planners have a
force majeure clause in their contracts because of which they are not under
legal obligation to return advance payments. However it is the first time
mankind has faced a situation so unprecedented. Every vendor will hopefully do
the right thing and help you minimize your loss by either refunding all or a
fair share of what you paid them. It is completely understandable that you feel
upset, frustrated and annoyed at having to not only cancel the most precious
celebration of your life but also lose a lot of money for no fault of yours.
At such times its best to not let emotions get
in the way. Discuss with your vendor calmly and come to a middle ground
solution which is fair to both sides and helps minimize the losses at both
ends.
If
you plan to reschedule your wedding:
If your wedding was scheduled during the lock
down then there is no choice but to postpone the wedding. In which case,
1. Find another suitable date. Speak to family, the priest and loved ones who will travel and come up with a date that is convenient for everyone.
2. Speak to your venue first and check availability for the new date. While venues might not be in a position to refund your money they will try their best to accommodate your new dates and transfer the advance towards that.
3. Speak to your wedding planner for their availability. At Divya Vithika Wedding Planners we are giving priority to our existing clients who will need to reschedule to next year before signing up with new clients.
4. If you don’t already have a list, start a list of all the vendors you have made advance payments to. Designers, decorator, caterer, photographer, makeup artist, etc. When reaching out to vendors about postponing your wedding, we recommend that you email them. That way, you’ll have a written record to refer back to and it’ll be a lot easier than trying to remember what you agreed with some many different vendors on phone call conversations.
5. Make sure you agree with them that your dates might change again if the situation on COVID-19 doesn’t improve or in the unfortunate case that one of you might test positive.
If
you are still unsure about what to do:
Many couples who are in the middle of their
planning for a wedding later this year are unsure about what to do. Right now,
it feels like a gamble to reschedule because there is so much uncertainty about
the future. A lot of our clients are Non
Resident Indians who were to get married in India in November and December this
year. To them our advice has been to wait and watch and not make any major
decisions just yet. Since we have time we can take that call by July or even
August.
For couples that had celebrations lined up in
April to July, domestically, at this time we recommend you move your wedding
through August, and possibly into September with a clear understanding with all
involved vendors that dates might be changed again if things haven’t opened up by
then. For International destinations consider postponing all 2020 weddings to
2021 because there are travel restrictions and bans on large social gatherings to
limit the spread of the coronavirus and we don’t know how long that might stay
in force. Until there is a vaccine for the COVID-19, travel will continue to be
a risk.
We have postponed all our weddings between
now and July. Our clients are working towards new dates and we are working
closely with the vendors to ensure that they are given priority.
We understand how uncertain, challenging and stressful this time is for couples. It is only natural for you to cry and vent. But remember as far as you have each other that’s the most important thing and when the time comes to celebrate your wedding it will mean even more, knowing what you have been through together and survived.
We had an amazing evening at the DWP awards dinner at the Atlantis The Palm in Dubai. It was a great honor to have come in the top 3 of wedding planners from India and we came away feeling blessed to be part of this wonderful global wedding fraternity. Thank you so much to all our clients, friends and family for your support throughout the years.
Of course there’s something special about getting married against a backdrop of mountains, sunny beaches or ancient palaces. As gorgeous as these locales are, don’t forget the legwork that goes into planning a destination wedding. After all, there are more practical considerations to take into account like the weather in your chosen location, ease of connectivity of flights, availability of variety of accommodations among of host of other things.
As wedding planners in Bangalore, a lot of our clientele come from various parts of world to get married in this beautiful city. We used to wonder why they chose Bangalore instead of destinations like Rajasthan and Goa. But over the years we realized Bangalore is one of those rare cities which gives you all the comforts of a big city at the same time as adding the unique charm of a destination wedding.
Connectivity
You don’t want to tire your guests with multiple layovers before they even check-in. Easy accessibility and good connectivity plays a key role in choosing the right destination. Bangalore is well connected by air, rail and road. In fact Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport is rated one of the best airports in the country.
Weather
One of the most important factors to consider for your destination wedding is the weather. For Bangaloreans, the city’s weather is a badge that we wear with pride. It is pleasant pretty much throughout the year. When it gets too hot, the rain gods are kind enough to throw in a shower for a few minutes and it is back to lovely, enjoyable weather. So while the rest of the country is baking during the summer months or freezing during the winter months you can avoid weather issues altogether and get married in Bangalore with its pleasant weather year-round.
The best weather in popular vacation destinations like Rajasthan and Goa tend to correlate with the tourist season, when there are typically more crowds, fewer hotel and venue availability, and higher rates all around. Given that Bangalore is not your typical tourist destination it is easy to find availability all year-round.
A Large Variety of Accommodation Options
Bangalore has a large inventory of rooms and you can choose from a host of options. There are modern designer hotels through to those with colonial charm dating back to the 1800’s. Give your guests an experience of staying at a large ancestral home or enjoy the palace feel in the heart of the city. Apart from five star hotels, you can choose from boutique hotels, service apartments, bed and breakfasts and everything in between. Whether you are paying for it all yourself or your guests are paying for their own accommodation we can’t stress enough on how helpful it is to have great options in all budget ranges.
Choice of Different Kinds of Venues
Your wedding location sets the mood for your celebrations and it is very important to prioritize a venue that goes well with your overall vision. ‘The Garden City’, Bangalore, is home to some of the best open air wedding venues. Choose from the iconic Bangalore Palace to add a touch of royalty or the Taj West End Hotel with its old world colonial charm. Go for Tamarind Tree if you want the feel of a traditional ancestral home or one of the many lush green farm houses for the garden feel. What we can guarantee is no matter where in Bangalore you get married you will take back great memories and beautiful photographs to last a life time.
Availability of Vendors
Local suppliers are very important in making your wedding both stress free and memorable. Flying vendors into remote destinations can be a logistical nightmare and very expensive. Luckily Bangalore boasts some of the best talent in the country. From a variety of caterers, great wedding planners, makeup artists to photographers and decorators. This city has it all.
What Activities Does Your Destination Offer?
Bustling with restaurants, pubs, discotheques and shopping malls, the city of Bangalore truly has something to offer everyone. Bangalore has the largest number of pubs in the country and is called the pub city, as well as the Garden City and the Silicon Valley of India. Alongside the modern city is an older Bangalore which is great to explore for its ancient temples, bustling markets, lakes and parks, palaces and forts and gracious bungalows all remnants of a bygone era.
With its inherent cosmopolitan feel the city has no language issues with people from all parts of the country calling it home and a thriving international community. Laid back and welcoming the city is safe, easy to get around and friendly. For those of your guests who have come a long way and want to explore further, the coffee plantations of Coorg and Chickmanglur or the historic city of Mysore are all within half a day’s drive.
Guests travelling far and wide will thank you for choosing a wedding destination that is convenient to get to and has plenty to offer. For further help planning your dream wedding you can reach us here.
We were very proud to have designed and planned the beautiful Royal Wedding of a real life Princess Krutika and her Prince Akshay. Wedding Sutra featured the wedding. Click below for the full article.
