Interview with a Bride who had to Postpone her Dubrovnik wedding due to Coronavirus

If things were normal, today Matea and I would be meeting Sorcha and Dan for their pre wedding meeting. We'd go to the registry office around 10am and then sip coffee in their wedding hotel and discuss their wedding timeline, meet their wedding vendors and around noon we'd likely switch to Gin and Tonics. But this scenario will have to wait a bit...
Oh how I love pre wedding meetings. So much emotions about them. And can't wait when this will actually happen! I remember when they visited Dubrovnik to check on their wedding venues last year, they met with Matea and she absolutely fell in love with them. I also remember her saying how they will be a perfect beginning of the season. Little did we know...

Sorcha and Dan during their Dubrovnik visit for pre wedding site inspections

I don't need to tell you much, Coronavirus affected every pore of our everyday lives and so it did the same to the wonderful world of weddings and even more so- destination weddings. All of a sudden, nobody knew what is happening and what will happen. Virus spread in a way we never expected it to in the world we live in and then - it was the end of the world as we knew it.... Soon enough, it was obvious that our May weddings are questionable. And Sorcha and Dan won't be opening our 2020 Dubrovnik Wedding Season in May. After a few long and reasonable emails, a postponement decision was a logical one.

Instead of bothering you with info you may already know, here is a first interview I ever made with a Bride, on how her world changed with the arrival of the little bastard known as COVID-19.

Photo by Foto Adria, all rights reserved

1.      When did you decide to postpone your wedding and how long did it take you to make that decision?

We knew that having to postpone our wedding was a possibility since the outbreak of COVID 19, but we were hopeful that things would soon get back to normal and our original wedding date would be ok. In middle of March there came a point where it was no longer going to be possible for us to fly into Dubrovnik in May, so that decision was taken out of our hands and we had to postpone.

2.      When is your new wedding date planned for?

Currently, our new wedding date is planned for August 1st 2020, and we have all of our fingers crossed that it will be possible this time around!

3.      Did cancelling come to your mind at all?

Not at all. We both love to travel, and since our first trip to Dubrovnik in May 2015, Dan and I both fell in love with it. Over the years we discussed having a destination wedding and it was always going to be in Dubrovnik, it wasn't even a question. When we got engaged we didn't even look into having a wedding here in Ireland, just got straight to planning with Dubrovnik Event! So for us, the only choice was when to make the decision to postpone, we never considered cancelling.

#postponedontcancel #showmustgoon

Sponza Palace, Sorcha and Dan's wedding ceremony venue (photo by Mihoci Studios, all rights reserved)

4.      Did you find your wedding vendors supportive and flexible?

Absolutely, every single one! I honestly could not imagine dealing with this whole situation without the amazing support and dedication from both you and the fabulous Matea. We cannot recommend Dubrovnik Event highly enough! All of the hard work and organisation that went into planning the original wedding day has just been seamlessly lifted up and moved to a different date! You both make it seem so effortless, even though I am sure it is a very stressful thing to have to coordinate and always done with such positivity and kindness. We appreciate the flexibility of all of our vendors so greatly and cannot wait to meet those who we have not yet had the pleasure to meet, when our wedding eventually comes around! 

5.      Do you think the virus consequences will influence the number of people to come to your wedding?

Hopefully not, as we were not having a huge wedding to begin with. But inevitably the virus may result in some travel fears or government restrictions that may result in us having a smaller wedding. But we are hopeful that our closest family and friends will still be able to attend. 

6.      Will you do something special to mark your original wedding date?

Definitely! Only today we received two packages in the post from our families, both with "do not open until May 3rd" written on them. So we will enjoy these surprises and open a bottle of bubbles to celebrate together and mark the occasion!

After ceremony cocktails boat for Sorcha and Dan's Dubrovnik Wedding (Photo by Foto Adria, all rights reserved)

7.      Did you put plans on hold or feel like planning these days when whole world is on pause?

Yes and no. Naturally we had to postpone our honeymoon until later in the year, but if all goes ahead in August then we will only be a few months behind with our original life plans, and that is not so bad. Sometimes it is difficult to make plans, but plans can always be changed, and sometimes it is good to have a pause. 

8.      Do you , as a Bride, think COVID and its consequences will influence the world of weddings, budgets, and in general wedding decisions?

I think it will, in the short term anyway. I would say COVID 19 has made a lot of brides and grooms take a step back and realise what is really important to them as a couple. It might make some couples realise they don't actually need all of the things they thought they did to make their wedding day the most special day of their lives, resulting in smaller, more intimate wedding ceremonies. 

9.      Do you plan on changing anything from your original date to a new date, like floral styling, décor, music, anything?

Hopefully not, after an entire year of emails back and forth, we could not be happier with the wedding we have planned! So to have all of our vendors available at our later date we are delighted to not have to change any of the well thought out details!

 

Sorcha and Dan's Dubrovnik Wedding Reception Venue, Vala Beach Club (photo by Mihoci studios, all rights reserved)

10.   Anything you’d like to say to all the Brides going through similar situation?

I would just say that whenever your wedding is, don't let the fear or disappointment of having to postpone your wedding consume you. As my family and friends said to me, it is alright to take the time to feel your feelings of upset or disappointment, but then pick yourself up and look forward to the day that your wedding can go ahead, and realise that it will be the most special day whenever that is because you are marrying the person you love, and will spend the rest of your lives together, and that is the most important thing in all of this!

Photo by Mihoci Studios all rights reserved

#dubrovnikwedding #dubrovnikweddingplanner #dubrovnikweddingsintimeofcorona #dubrovnikbride #gettingmarriedindubrovnik #postponingdubrovnikwedding #dubrovnikdestinationwedding #weddingplannersupport

Hoping this little interview will help you if you're a Bride who was in a similar or even same situation and maybe inspire you to have your destination wedding even if you didnt plan on it. Where better than in Dubrovnik, Croatia- the most incredible wedding destination of the Mediterranean....

Email us at info@dubrovnikevent.com for more information, we can't wait!

Your Dubrovnik Wedding Planners :)

Ines & Matea

Photo by Fabijan Drnas, all rights reserved