Postponed plans. My Sorrento wedding in the time of Covid-19

The Coronavirus pandemic otherwise known as Covid-19, has had a devastating impact on us all worldwide and is undoubtedly the defining global health crisis of our time. It has affected almost every area of our lives. Trying to navigate through such tough times has been made even more difficult for those couples also planning a 2020 destination wedding. As the pandemic unfolded in Italy, it was clear that we needed to react quickly in order to ensure that our clients were kept informed as to the lockdown situation, the options available and whether we felt their wedding date was going to be achievable or not. Jenna and Mark, our beautiful couple from Aberdeenshire, were due to marry on May 6th kicking off our 2020 wedding season. Here we chat to Jenna about her journey so far and how Covid-19 has affected their plans.

Firstly thanks so much for joining us on the blog Jenna and sharing your own personal experience with everyone. It's been heart breaking for me too having to reschedule your wedding date but I know that we are all looking forward positively to a wonderful May 2021 wedding and a beautiful celebration. Firstly we’d love to know a bit more about you both …

How did you and Mark meet and how did he propose?

We met in 2011 when we both worked at the same company. After numerous work nights out, Mark asked me out for a proper date and that was that.

Mark proposed when we were away for a long weekend up in the North of Scotland. We were walking on the beach with our little sausage dog, Smudge. Mark had ran ahead of me with Smudge and when I caught up he was down on one knee and popped the question with Smudge by his side. It was very cute.

What made you choose Italy and Sorrento for your wedding?

We both adore Italy. Our first holiday together was to Rome and we just loved it. When we got engaged we both automatically assumed we’d be getting married in Italy. Sorrento was on our list of places to visit. It’s so beautiful so we just went for it!

When did you first start worrying about your original wedding date and how Covid-19 could potentially impact it?

We briefly thought about it in February when everything was starting to kick off. Then as we followed it on the news and saw the difficulties the north of Italy was going through we started to become a little more concerned. It wasn’t until about a week before we decided to postpone that it really hit us that it was going to have to be a serious possibility for us.

As we were due to get married on the 6th May, all our decisions ended up being made quite quickly.

When the south of Italy also went into lockdown, we just knew 😞

Do you feel that you were kept informed and updated adequately from myself here in Italy?

Absolutely! Victoria you were amazing through this whole process. You kept us updated with everything that was going on in Italy, even day to day changes. No one knew how long this was going to go on for but you completely put our minds at ease. You fully supported us in any decision making and gave us all our options in order to help us make a decision regarding postponing or not. You were never too busy to get back to me. Even though you were going through a rough time coping with the lockdown in Italy yourself, I knew I could always rely on you to answer my questions.

When did you make the final decision to reschedule and what brought you to this decision?

It was 7 weeks before our wedding. A week before the UK went into its lockdown. Italy was already going through lockdown and we knew that it was soon coming for the UK too. It just didn’t make sense to stress ourselves out anymore. We felt like we were in limbo not knowing what was going to happen. The excitement was gone. Not the way the build up to your wedding should be, so we bit the bullet and made the decision.

What was the worst part of making this decision?

The worst part was just accepting that our wedding date was no longer the day we thought it would be. I think the date seems like such a big part of everything as it’s what you count down to. Crossing the weeks and days off. However, everything else will still be how it should be. We’ll still get married, all our guests will still be there, we will still have the amazing party we want, it will just happen on a different day.

“It’s definitely like “ripping off the plaster”. That’s the worst part and once that’s done you realise everything will be absolutely fine.”

How did you feel once you had made the decision?

It was instant relief. Once the decision was made it just felt like a weight had been lifted. We could now move on from the feelings of disappointment and upset. The build up to our wedding felt like it had been so tainted and the enjoyment taken out of it. Now we have another chance to enjoy that last few months before the wedding and get excited about things like hen/stag doos, final dress fittings and all the little details. The way it should be.

What is your advice to other brides going through the same process?

I would say it’s completely normal to be upset, sad, angry and all the other emotions! It almost felt like I had to grieve a little. I know it sounds mad, but they are the feelings you go through. Those feelings soon lift though and you feel relieved and grateful that your wedding will be the way it should be. So allow yourself to feel the grief and know it gets better and you will soon feel excited again.

“Don’t worry about what other people will think. I stressed over the hassle it would cause all my guests, rearranging flights, hotels etc. Whilst in reality none of them cared about that. They were all so supportive and just wanted us to have our wedding day the way it should be. ”

Also if you are struggling with making the decision, just do it! Like I said, just rip the plaster off. You will still have your day and you can enjoy everything about it again.

Were your vendors/suppliers accommodating?

Absolutely! Every single one of them has understood the situation and gone above and beyond to be helpful. They have agreed to push things back to our new date and we haven’t lost any deposits etc. So I feel really lucky there.

We also didn’t have the stress of trying to sort these things out as Victoria took care of everything.

How do you feel now?

Happy and excited to countdown to our new wedding date.

“We have an extra year to enjoy the build up and there might be little extras now that we can add in that we wouldn’t have been able to do before. ”

Is there anything positive that you will take away from this tough experience?

The support and kindness we received from everyone has been amazing. It has really showed us just how amazing all our family and friends are. We can’t wait to party with them in 2021 now.

Plus when we are older and celebrating a big wedding anniversary, we’ll have some story to share and look back on. We’ll definitely remember this time with fond memories rather than looking back at it negatively.

Anything else you'd like to add?

A massive thank you to you Victoria. I can’t emphasise enough how much you have done to help and support us through this crazy time. You took so much of the stress away and got things reorganised so quickly. I know I couldn’t have done it without you. You have been an absolute star.

A note from Victoria

Thank you Jenna & Mark so much for your incredibly kind words and taking the time to share your experience. I cannot wait until we can finally enjoy your special day. It will be sensational!

A real bride's insight into the impact of Coronavirus on her 2020 destination wedding