COVID-19

Well what a year 2020 has been so far- we are all going to remember this one!

When Coronavirus first entered the news, someone said to me it will not be long before it reaches the UK. At the time I didn’t pay much attention, thinking it all sounded such a long way from home- well how wrong could I have been.

Once I realised the seriousness of the pandemic and the impact it would have on our business and more importantly the plans of our 2020 bookings, it became clear that we needed to ,very quickly, implement an action plan…….

Contacting the suppliers

I decided my first port of call was to speak to the suppliers for each booking to let them know my thoughts and see if we were all on the same page.

I thought if this was happening to me, I would need to know what happens if my big day or event can’t go ahead? Will my wedding / event still go ahead at a different time? Will I be charged cancellation fees and rebooking fees? All these thoughts would be at the forefront of my couples’ minds, which is something that I needed to try to alleviate.

To avoid this unwanted stress, I decided that I needed to provide all my bookings with a back-up date for 2021 at no extra charge. Of course, there are many suppliers to consider for each booking, so I was straight on the phone to them and was pleased that they were all so keen to assist and could all accommodate the alternative dates if needed. It makes me so thankful to the amazing suppliers that I work with.

Get in touch with all bookings

Firstly, I emailed all bookings with an initial “do not worry email” and advised that I would call each individually to discuss this further. I spoke to all bookings that week and agreed a back- up -date that suited both parties. To date, every booking, except one, has decided to move their day to next year.

In these uncertain times around the world, couples were concerned that family and friends coming from abroad may not be able to book flights and travel could be affected by quarantine restrictions. Another concern for a lot of couples was the number of guests that the government would allow to attend. Providing them with a back-up date eliminated these stresses and worries and allowed our couples the assurance that they would still be having an incredible wedding but potentially it would be a year later.

Current situation and moving forward

The good news is that as from 4th July, places of worship can open for weddings with up to 30 people present. We still await further Government Guidance and advice regarding larger guest numbers for events due to take place in the lattter part of the season. We are still receiving plenty of enquiries and providing quotes but will not be confirming any new 2020 bookings until the situation becomes clearer. Alcott and all our suppliers are keen to get back to work and provide incredible days and we will be making all necessary changes to make sure that everyone has a safe and memorable event.

Our 2021 diary is almost full, but we still have a few remaining dates including some Saturdays available. Please check your preferred date in the calendar app at the bottom of every page on our website. We are also running special offers with Fews Marquees and Covered By Canvas, to help out those that have had their weddings cancelled in 2020 due to Covid 19. We are also starting to take bookings for 2022 so please get in touch if you are interested.

If you can’t wait until the showcase in July here is a little taster of what we have to offer.