KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many couples are canceling or postponing weddings this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Small businesses in the wedding industry say they are heartbroken it's happening, but they still have a business to run, and it's not feasible for them to give refunds on non-refundable deposits.
Megan Julian, professional wedding planner with Julian Events, said wedding planners are past the cancellation phase of the pandemic for the most part, but many of them have a long road of recovery ahead.
Julian explained the non-refundable deposit couples pay when they sign a contract goes toward work that's already been done and is being done currently.
"All the time that's spent talking to you about your details, all of the business expenses for that service to be in business, things like phone and email and payroll and advertising and all the normal business expenses, creating contracts for you," Julian said.
Julian explained postponement fees are necessary too, because when a couple postpones, they are essentially taking up two dates, which takes away a date for the vendor to sell to another couple.
"Especially couples that are postponing from a Saturday this year to a Saturday in spring or fall of 2021, that's now two dates for one couple that results in actually half the income for that service partner," Julian said.
Julian said most vendors have a fee structure specifically to offset that loss in income.
Carolyn Campbell Schwartz is the owner of Ultrapom Event Rental, which rents everything from tables and chairs to yard games and arches for events.
"All the events we had went from being full steam ahead to completely canceled," Schwartz said.
She wants people to understand a pandemic doesn't make a contract null and void.
"We still have to keep paying things even though our business is being completely wiped out," Schwartz said.
As a way to be as flexible as possible, Schwartz is offering credit for another date or allowing it to be transferred to someone else. She appreciates those who understand.
"We're not big, giant corporations, even if we look like it. We're just small little companies trying to get by," Schwartz said.
