responding to COVID-19
what a wild, crazy time to be alive.
let me start off by saying that my heart goes out to all of you, whether we’re working together or not, who have been forced to postpone your elopements, weddings, and photo sessions. these are huge investments you’ve made in yourselves and in your loved ones, and to have to change it all at the drop of a hat for something as scary as a virus sweeping the country is absolutely devastating. and i am so sorry you’re going through it all at this time.
everyone i know is talking about the current situation, so nothing i say here will be novel or new, i just want to make sure the couples i am working with this year know where i stand, what’s going on in moab, and what we’re going to do about it all, together.
current plan with couples who have already booked march & april:
most of you have already rescheduled, so to all of you, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. this is a scary time for all of us, whether you’re a small business owner like myself or a bartender or a teacher or a social worker, whatever you do for money, we’re all trying to navigate the financial repercussions of this the best we can. to have couples reschedule rather than just cancel gives me hope that we’ll get through this spring.
if we haven’t talked about rescheduling and you’re thinking about it or just want to know what your options are, let me know and i’ll send you a link to my calendar so you can see what i have available. the last thing i want is for you to be stressing at all about your day if there is any chance that it’s going to be nixed at the last minute.
my recommendation: if your wedding is planned in moab in march or april, let’s try and reschedule. there’s no telling how long this lockdown will last, but april will be here before we know it so i’d feel safer going ahead and rescheduling. if that is absolutely not an option, call me.
current plan with couples who have already booked may, june, & july:
again, some of you have started the rescheduling process and we’re working together to find dates that will work for all of us. it’s so hard to say what life will be like for all of us this summer and if we’ll have returned to a sense of normalcy.
my recommendation: if your wedding is small, less than 10 people, and you don’t have many vendors involved in your day, let’s hang tight. if you have planned a larger wedding, let’s start the rescheduling conversation.
current plan with couples who have booked august, september, october, & november:
let’s hold tight, for now. i have my fingers crossed that this will be in a manageable state come the end of summer, so let’s keep our plan a. if you are stressing, give me a call. if you just want to facetime over a glass of wine and chat about how crazy all of this is, i’m your gal.
my recommendation: let’s stay put for now. we’ll touch base again in the summer.
what’s happening in moab?
the situation in this little tourist town is changing literally by the hour. as of this afternoon, march 17th, everything from restaurants and gyms to hotels, airbnbs, and campgrounds are beginning to close. you can read the announcement here. the way things are trending, i’m anticipating the national and state parks will be closed within the week.
i know it can be so tempting to come here right now, especially with kids out of school and ski resorts closed, but now isn’t the time. our hospital only has 17 beds and 3 ventilators, we just aren’t equipped to handle the influx of tourists, along with our own population, with the threat of this virus omnipresent. i’ll do my best to continue to update this post with news as it unfolds here in town so that you all can make the best decisions possible – for you and for those of us living here in moab.
for all you future couples
as my spring sessions reschedule for fall, i’m anticipating fall 2020 will book up in a week or two. so if you’re thinking of rescheduling for fall (my favorite time of year in moab), reach out to me asap.
if you’re thinking of planning a wedding for spring 2021, also don’t hesitate to reach out to hold a date. if fall fills, then it follows that spring 2021 will be next, and there’s nothing i hate more than having to say no to a couple because i’m already booked. we’re all on lockdown at home anyway, might be a good time for some wedding planning (i should really think of doing the same, we have zero plans so far!). even if you’re in the beginning stages of planning, it’s a good idea to lock down a date sooner than later.
none of this is meant to scare anyone, rather, i hope we can all stay informed so we can make the best decisions for all of us. i’ve been in touch with most of you, so let’s keep the conversation going.
lots of hugs,
emily
