An open letter to our 2020 couples

Dear 2020 couples, 

As we look back on March and April, what a whirlwind it’s been. Starting in early March, before Italy’s lock down, we could see what was coming and how it was going to decimate the summer of 2020, your weddings and our business as we knew it.

We quickly reacted and committed to doing everything we could to protect you and your wedding. Our goal was clear: to give you the wedding that you’ve dreamt of, at the same cost, but perhaps at a later date. (We’d deal later with how we’d build our team and their skills to deliver this on top of a set 2021 calendar of weddings).

We immediately established a policy with suppliers and what we expected of them. We needed low, or non-existent reschedule fees and the allowance of couples to move their weddings in 2021 immediately. Some pushed back initially, not wanting to move your July / August weddings or charging fees. We listened and worked with every supplier to find a solution for both sides. Eventually everyone came around and we are so proud that we have had such great results for you. You have an amazing team of suppliers.

What followed was planning like we’ve never done before. Planning the weekly communications with all our client types (2020 weddings by month, 2021 weddings who hadn’t yet found their wedding venue, 2021 weddings that we were well planned etc) to keep everyone calm and informed; Planning the way to manage moving 24 weddings and the hundreds of venues and suppliers involved, in just a few weeks; planning our new workload that was completely transformed. We did this alongside managing our home lives, which were in complete upheaval with job loss, furloughing, vulnerable and sick family members.

We were scared that you might not want to move your weddings, that we might lose them completely and that financially we’d really struggle.

We won’t fib, it was extremely hard. Truly the hardest thing was letting go of your weddings as we knew them, hearing your loss and your sadness. We’re sponges! Sometimes we were the first to introduce the idea that you might have to move your wedding and those conversations were the hardest. We live our weddings and we were so excited to see you all this summer, creating the most amazing, beautiful days for you. We’re still so sad that won’t happen for a while yet but we will make up for it.

We want to thank you beyond words for your grace and your support for us and your suppliers. Thank you for moving your wedding, for trusting us to make it work for you at such an uncertain time, for replying so quickly and making those tough decisions. We have really heard your struggle, each couple having their own personal reasons for the postponement being so challenging. 

Your suppliers want you to know that your choice matters so much to them. They will have a tough year this year and the prospect of creating your wedding with our team is exciting, motivating and uplifting. We all feel the love.

As your original wedding dates fast approach, please feel our love and our thanks. We’re going to squeeze you so tight when we can. 

As we say in Italy, big hug.

Lucy and Danielle x