Announcement: Coronavirus & Your Wedding
I want to acknowledge and discuss the issue we are all talking about right now - Coronavirus/COVID-19 - and how it relates to you and your wedding plans. I know this is a stressful time for everyone, and you may be panicking about your upcoming wedding and whether your day will go as planned. I hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy during this difficult time.
With the current pandemic and the risk of your wedding being moved or cancelled, I want to take some time to address cancellations and rescheduling, as well share the precautions I am taking to keep things safe and sanitary for all upcoming photography work. At this time, I am still planning to work all weddings that are booked, I am not making any cancellations on my end, and I intend to complete all booked weddings for the upcoming season.
As a small business here in Halifax (a teeny tiny business - it’s just me!), this is a very scary time and I want to make sure you know that I am here for you and will do everything I can to make your wedding planning less nerve-racking with all that is happening right now. I am keeping up with all government announcements and recommendations and am hoping that by the time your wedding date arrives, we will be able to proceed as normal. I am hoping that by sharing these policies and options, it will help alleviate some of the stress that you may be experiencing right now.
If you are postponing your wedding day:
I understand the financial burden of rescheduling a wedding day, particularly if your wedding is within the next couple months. Due to this, I am expanding my rescheduling policy to make it more flexible for all of my couples during this pandemic.
If you choose to reschedule because of COVID-19, please let me know as soon as possible so I can provide you with a list of available dates in 2020 and 2021. I do have some Saturday availability left for 2020 (as well as weekdays and Sundays), and lots of availability for 2021, so I am confident we can work together to find a date that works. Dates will be filled on a first come/first serve basis.
Any amount paid towards your wedding booking will be applied to your rescheduled event date, so long as the event is rescheduled to take place on or before December 31, 2021, and you will not incur any rescheduling fees or additional charges for the package you have booked, even if my prices have increased. No refunds will be made for payments made prior to postponement.
If you choose not to postpone your wedding:
As of now, I am still ready and willing to shoot all of my booked weddings coming up in the 2020 season. I understand that an event like a wedding may not be possible to cancel, and that many of my bookings are for intimate weddings with small guest lists.
In this situation, if the virus is still spreading throughout the province during the time of your wedding, I will take precautions in order to protect myself and anyone I will come in contact with during your wedding day. I ask that you request for any guests who are feeling ill or may have been exposed to COVID-19 to stay home, and provide appropriate spacing between guests during your ceremony/reception/wherever possible.
Here are some of the precautions I plan to take:
• I will be sanitizing my equipment and bags throughout the day, as well as taking more frequent bathroom breaks to wash my hands in between wedding day events.
• I will be shooting with longer lenses in order to add extra distance between myself and members of the wedding party/guests.
• During the reception, I will be taking a step back from the dance floor so we can keep a safe distance. I will be utilizing longer focal lengths to compensate.
• If I become ill and I am required to quarantine myself, I will send a backup photographer in my place. The backup photographers will send the image files to me, so I can still edit your photos in my style. Please refer to your contract for more information on this.
If you are cancelling your wedding, without planning to reschedule:
For all cancellations due to COVID-19, I am waiving the required cancellation period and will release you from your contractual obligation for the remaining balance of your booking. Please note that your initial deposit is non-refundable; if you are on a payment plan, all payments made are non-refundable. I highly suggest considering a postponement or change of plan (elopement, city hall wedding, intimate ceremony) instead.
If you have a different situation than outlined above:
Please get in touch with me ASAP to talk about your options - I am happy to discuss turning your wedding into an elopement, splitting coverage between two dates, or other solutions for your big day. You can send me an email at sineaddubeau@gmail.com or call me at 902-293-8815 to discuss.
Other helpful links:
Brides: What To Do if Your Wedding is in the Midst of the Coronavirus Hysteria
Philadelphia Magazine: Coronavirus Canceled Our Wedding. We Got Married Anyway
I know that this is a difficult time for many, and it’s hard to know what is next to come. If you have any questions or you want to discuss your upcoming wedding plans, please get in touch via email or phone so we can talk - I am here and I want the best for you and your wedding! In the meantime, stay safe, stay home, and take care of your loved ones. If you need me, I’ll be curled up with my dog, some wine, and a lot of snacks. Sending love to all of you!