Last month, I was on medical leave for a little surgery. And like most of my industry colleagues, I had a back-up plan in place to ensure that my clients were well taken care of in my absence.
While I was out, I started to wonder, "Do you have a plan B for your wedding day?"
As I said before, most of your professional wedding vendors will be prepared for emergencies, so you can expect them to have a back-up plan in place if any of they become unavailable -- it's a necessity.
This may not always be the case if you assign a friend or family member to act as one of your key wedding vendors.
Let me ask you six key questions --
1. First and foremost (the most obvious), if you are getting married outside, do you have a back-up plan that you can live with? It's so easy to get swept up by the beautiful views associated with an outdoor ceremony. But I recommend you take a long pause before signing a venue agreement if an indoor contingency plan is not available in case.
2. Is there anything noted in your wedding vendor agreements that addresses a SUITABLE REPLACEMENT if a vendor becomes unavailable? If there isn't, have a long discussion to ensure that a plan is in place. Once the details are confirmed, ask to get it in writing. If you already signed the agreement, ask to add an addendum to your current agreement. And don't let anyone tell you that "nothing will happen" because we have no control over the weather, family emergencies or even (gasp) death.
3. What about equipment? As you plan your wedding, you are working with numerous vendors that require specialized equipment. So, you want to ensure they have back-up equipment available (i.e., a spare camera, an extra microphone).
4. Do you have wedding planning insurance? Having wedding insurance similar to WedSafe is not going to help in the middle of a challenge, but there is nothing worse than paying for something twice. Wedding insurance will help you to recoup some of the money lost if you experience theft or an emergency.
Also, I've heard several of stories of couples finding out that a wedding industry business has closed because of financial hardship. Leaving the couple behind to pick up the pieces. When this occurs, you may find yourself at square one. But it definitely helps if you have insurance OR if you paid for your expenses with a credit card. Check with your credit card company beforehand for the rules and regulations regarding refunds for lack of products or services.
5. Do you have any back-up money in your wedding budget? When you start your wedding planning, set aside 7 to 10% of your wedding planning budget for emergency expenses. This helps you remain on budget even if you are faced with a new expense during the last eight weeks of your wedding planning. If you don't experience any new expenses, you have a surplus for your honeymoon (or better yet, your new home).
6. Have you built a plan B into your wedding day schedule? Wedding days are fun, exciting and crazy. They can be so crazy that time can sneak away from you. So work with your wedding planner to pad your wedding day timeline. This helps you to recoup lost time due to a traffic jam, or a misplaced marriage license or missing groomsmen. . . . And let me tell you, groomsmen do get lost sometimes!
Do you have any Plan B stories or ideas? Please share -- We would love to hear them.
Love & Soul Always, Kay
