IT is not often I have something in common with the royals.
But when Princess Beatrice announced the postponement of her May wedding, a coronavirus casualty, I felt a pang of familiarity.
This week I got the call I’d been dreading. My big day is off. After 18 months of planning, April 25, 2020, is now a date my fiance Adam Clark and I want to forget. Deep down, I knew this was coming.
But that doesn’t make it any easier. When I remember how stressed I was just weeks ago about a table plan, it seems laughable. That is one thing we can take from this.
There is no point worrying about stuff like this, when all that really matters is having the people you love around you.
My worries began in February, when Covid-19 began spreading to Europe.
Ironically, at that point it wasn’t my wedding that seemed in jeopardy. My sister is also getting married — in July, in Florence (I know, perfect for our parents).
As the situation in Italy escalated, panic set in as to whether HER day might be cancelled. The advice she got was, and still is, to wait and see what happens.
The position constantly changes and no one can offer any long-term help — leaving many in limbo.
Things started to ramp up ahead of my hen do
As the gravity of my own situation became clear, people’s words of comfort no longer cut it. “It will all blow over soon. You still have six weeks until the wedding.”
Well intended, sure. But already they were starting to grate. Of course, many people face much worse. Loved ones are dying. NHS workers are going above and beyond. Others are staring into a financial abyss.
But I figured it is OK to be upset about this too. Sometimes we need just a few moments of self-pity before dusting ourselves off and gaining some perspective.
And other brides dealing with the same thing might feel some comfort that we are all in this together. Things had ramped up a gear in the run-up to my Hen Do two weeks ago.
With life back then largely the same, other than instructions to wash our hands more, 19 of us were due to spend the weekend in Disneyland Paris.
But in the days before, Italy went on lockdown and cases of the virus were rising in France. One friend dropped out, then another for fear of being quarantined abroad.
Disneyland itself began to shut down, then closed totally. So we abandoned the Disney ship. Pals threw me a makeshift hen do at a family member’s house. It was so heartwarming, with just as much prosecco.
More people were texting me about our wedding, yet I had no answers. As each day unfolded last week, we realised elderly relatives would not be able to make the wedding, due to the Government’s isolation advice.
Friends coming from overseas faced travel bans and the wedding could feature no hugs or shows of love. Not quite what I had dreamt of.
I’d imagined a day of laughter, clinking champagne flutes — and Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York at the end of the night.
Instead, it would be a sombre affair with hand sanitisers as the table favours.
But we didn’t have wedding insurance, so any change of plans had to come from our London venue for any hope of salvaging any money. Of course, we would never want to risk friends and family contracting the virus.
But our wedding day has been such a big part of our lives for the past year, we couldn’t quite give up on it yet. Then, last Wednesday, the call came. Oddly, I felt a sense of relief. The decision had been taken out of our hands.
Feels like we are starting over again
The venue has since offered us a new date in September — and so began the frantic calling round to all our suppliers to see if they are available too.
Some are, some aren’t. It feels like we are starting all over again. It is difficult realising we might have to take second best for a few things after so much planning. But this is a brave new world and we can no longer sweat the small stuff. We are yet to work out how much money we have lost.
Thankfully, so far, everyone we are working with has offered to re-schedule for free. We are very grateful. We have the original date printed on most things but it’s nothing a Sharpie pen can’t fix.
We don’t know if things will be OK by September. But we have to stay positive. Love conquers all, right? This year will still be my “happily ever after” — although, worst of all, it means six more months on the pre-wedding diet.
The high-profile couples who’ve had to call off their ceremonies
AS thousands of couples watch their months of wedding planning fall apart, there are many celebrities out there who have also been forced to postpone their upcoming nuptials as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Here are just some of them, from royalty and high society, to stars of music and film . . .
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
IT’S been a tough year for Princess Beatrice because she’s had to carry the burden put on the family by her dad Prince Andrew and his links to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The one shining light was her upcoming wedding to the property developer. But the Princess felt there was “no alternative” but to postpone her nuptials on May 29, in light of government advice.
The couple are rumoured to now be looking at rescheduling for next year.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
THE couple were reportedly due to say “I do” in front of 150 guests in Japan this summer, but have been forced to push the date back due to the global crisis.
Katy and Orlando are also expecting their first baby together.
Orlando told The Times: “I’m not joking when I say that coronavirus might have a play in whether we put things on ice, because we’re going to be travelling and we don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable.”
Emma Stone and Dave McCary
ACTRESS Emma got engaged to comedian and director Dave in December and they were supposedly due to wed this month in Los Angeles.
But due to the ongoing pandemic, the couple were forced to postpone. They are not thought to have set a new date yet.
James Middleton and Alizee Thevenet
THE younger brother of the Duchess of Cambridge was due to marry his French fiancee this summer, but has called it off because of the coronavirus pandemic.
James has reportedly said it is “not practical” to host a wedding at the moment, and the couple will look to rearrange when guests are more comfortable and happy to attend.
Wedding questions answered
WITH the virus crisis throwing everyone’s plans into doubt, we answer your queries about tying the knot this year and beyond.
Q) Will I have to cancel my wedding? If you’re getting married this summer, don’t bury your head in the sand, but don’t panic either.
A) Wedding planner Nina Beer, of Occasion Queens, says: “The current climate is changing quickly, so give yourself the space to make educated decisions.”
But she says those due to marry in the next 12 weeks should take action – with social-distancing, nothing’s going to happen before then.
Q) Can I buy wedding insurance now?
A) Most of the big wedding insurers have stopped issuing policies to new customers.
Any insurance you are able to get at this stage is likely to include heavy restrictions and is unlikely to cover coronavirus-related issues. Read the details carefully.
Q) I have insurance. Is my big day protected if I cancel or postpone?
A) Your policy will still stand, but it still may not be straightforward to get a payout. Read the small print and speak to the insurance company.
Pam Ryan, of the website Wedding Dates, says: “Find out what parts of your policy still apply if you are postponing. If you have travel insurance, check on the validity of that policy too.”
“This is important for destination weddings or anyone going on honeymoon.”
A lockdown, or other government regulation, is unlikely to help your cause. Many policies won’t pay, as they exclude liability caused by a change in the law or governmental regulations.
Q) What do I do about the venue if I need to postpone?
A) Ask what their policy is on postponement and how long you have to make that decision. Many will be able to move your date and will do all they can to help you.
Nina says: “You may find that a family-run venue is more lenient than a large chain or corporate venue. Everyone is learning as they go and policies are changing each day.”
If your venue toes a strict line, check that their cancellation terms are fair. The Competition and Markets Authority warned some wedding venues in 2016 that their terms may breach consumer protection law. If in doubt contact Citizens Advice.
If you have to postpone, you’ll have a better chance of being able to rebook if you look at a new midweek date. Tell your wedding insurer the new date and check when you gave legal notice to get married as you may need to do it again.
Q) Can’t I plead my case with suppliers?
A) Many brides are reporting that suppliers, including venues, photographers, hairdressers, bands and florists are bending their usual rules to help heart-broken couples.
Q) I booked a wedding abroad. Am I stuffed?
A) With the Government advising against all global travel for the time being, your passport is going to gather dust.
The good news here is that if you booked your wedding as part of a package deal, you should still be covered by Package Travel regulations and able to get a refund – although the travel industry would thank you for postponing instead.
Q) Is there any chance of going ahead as planned?
A) If the plan was for a big party with your nearest and dearest in the next few months, you’ll have to think again.
But please don’t be too disheartened, lots of other brides are in the same boat as you – and be sure when this coronavirus crisis is finally over, to have an even bigger party.
