The New York Wedding Industry - A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NO-REFUND POLICY

We say nothing can stop love between two people, but we are finding out something can definitely stop them from getting married! New York City is a very popular choice when it comes to wedding destinations. But now, it’s been 18 days since the City went on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and there’s no end in sight. 

As a 12-year veteran of the wedding industry, I’ve never seen a crisis like this shut down my country, city, life and business. From one day to the next, we saw Broadway cut back on audience sizes only to close indefinitely altogether. Next came bar and restaurant closings, offering take-out and delivery only. And then finally a stay-at-home ordinance was issued that brought our city to a complete stop. 

Looking back, the year started off a little slow with the wedding bookings, but by late January, I had over 35 couples put down deposits and save their dates. Spring and summer - our peak season for Central Park weddings - was fast approaching and business was picking up.

That all came to a halt and now my days are marked by frantic phone calls and emails from brides-to-be asking about rescheduling and refund policies. In the wedding industry, there’s a long-standing no-refund policy that is well known and adhered-to by anyone that’s had any kind of success in this business.

It’s an industry that is shaped more by emotional decisions than solid business reasons. As soon as a couple announces their wedding, it is very common for family and friends to start chiming in on how the wedding should be. Everybody knows best. It can be stressful, and pretty soon, couples find themselves rethinking their wedding plans, cancelling services, changing the date, re-thinking the venue, or postponing their plans indefinitely. 

Other times, the bride gets inspired by the latest celebrity wedding fad and decides that tying the knot on some exotic beach would be best. Worse yet, some couples break up altogether and simply cancel.

Plans can change. People change. If the wedding industry was going to survive and flourish, it had to devise a policy that would safeguard it from unpredictable human behavior and financial ruin. And that’s how the no-refund policy came about.

It’s a policy that has remained firm among wedding professionals even as the country faces uncertainty about tomorrow. In these not-so-normal times, should the policy stand? Logic would say that because the wedding hasn’t happened yet, what’s the big deal about giving out a refund? 

Just like your wedding ceremony, giving out a refund really is a big deal for a wedding company, especially a niche business like mine where my focus is on small destination weddings and elopements. Many couples don’t understand what exactly it is they’re paying for when they buy a wedding package or when they hire a wedding planner. 

It’s not just putting a down payment on a wedding venue to reserve your spot. It’s not just hiring musicians, florists and a wedding officiant. So much more goes into planning your wedding than just booking vendors. And, like any other business, overhead costs such as office rent, keeping the lights on, employee payroll and marketing expenses are built into our prices.

Most importantly to remember is that your wedding planner doesn’t just wake up on the day of your ceremony and start organizing your wedding. The majority of the work takes place behind the scenes well in advance of your special day to make sure that everything goes smoothly and without a hitch.

Here’s a breakdown of what you’re actually paying for when you hire a wedding planner or purchase a wedding package. (I think I can speak for most professionals in the wedding industry!)

Research 

When I first started my business, I faced many challenges. I dealt with unreliable employees, dishonest vendors and difficult city bureaucrats. But with persistence and a lot of trial and error, I have put together a strong, reliable and talented team of wedding professionals that help me create the best wedding experience possible.

The time, effort and research I put into developing this team gets accounted for in the cost of my packages. You can always plan your own wedding, but the risk of things not turning out like you hoped is great. My costs mitigate that risk for you so that you can focus on your loved ones and enjoy your dream wedding.

Expertise

In the wedding industry, a vendor’s fee says a lot when it comes to proficiency and professionalism. Ideally, the vendor’s fee is on par with their skill level, experience and expertise. 

And with their experience comes the wisdom and knowledge to know BETTER and advise you. As with all highly skilled professionals in any industry, their service fees and conditions for hire become less flexible than those of newcomers. It’s just one more reason to support the no-refund policy.

Pricing 

One of the secret benefits of hiring a wedding planner is preferential pricing and access when securing vendors. Although certain services can seem expensive at the onset, imagine if you tried to secure them on your own. Forget the time and effort it takes to search for and meet with vendors; usually their standard cost alone can be more than you bargained for.

That’s where your wedding planner comes in. Because they provide a steady flow of business and have a solid reputation in the industry, vendors are more likely to want to work with them and offer them great pricing and preference. Having the right connections and negotiating prices on your behalf also gets figured into the fees they charge.

Logistics

The idea of logistics is pretty much built into the name: Wedding Planner. Many people are capable of planning an event under normal circumstances. But following up with vendors prior to and on the day of your wedding is not what you want to be doing hours before you say “I do.”

When you hire a wedding planner, the cost not only pays for vendors directly, but it also pays for your peace of mind that there is someone fully and solely responsible for all your wedding logistics. Their work starts well before your wedding day and they should be compensated for this work, even if you end up cancelling your ceremony.

Moving Forward

Most reputable wedding companies usually require a non-refundable down payment at the time you book your wedding. This money doesn’t sit somewhere in a bank account until your wedding day. 

Instead, it starts to work for you immediately as wedding plans get under way and you get closer to your special day. You’ll find that these companies, like myself, have paid down payments to vendors on your behalf - many times, non refundable payments even for them. They’ve spent time calling, negotiating, inquiring - all to ensure that when you and your significant other show up to exchange vows, everything is ready and waiting for you.

In light of today’s unforeseen circumstances, you’ll find that wedding professionals are hopeful just like you that life will return to “normal” and we can all get back to our lives, including your much anticipated married life. 

If you still have plans to get married in New York City - nothing, not even a coronavirus - can change that! If you pick a new date, your wedding professional will be more than willing to finish the job they started for you. If you cancel your wedding event altogether and you’ve paid that 50% down, consider it payment for work already done. 

Weddings are a happy occasion and we want you to have great memories. You still can. I have no doubt that the city will bounce back sooner than later and you can have the wedding of your dreams here. History has proven that New York City is resilient! Even in our isolation, we continue to find unity and community. Love always finds a way.