To say this past year was a challenge for wedding planners is an understatement. Not only did our day-to-day lives change overnight but our wedding planning businesses were in complete upheaval. We became accustomed to a completely different work schedule, often with periods of intense pressure when working to reschedule events and working with couples under an enormous amount of stress. Then there were other times of very little work when bookings were down as most events were postponed.

As more and more states have lifted restrictions, we are heading slowly towards the pre-pandemic normalcy we have been longing for. But, are we ready? As wedding planners, we are resourceful and resilient, but even the toughest of us may have lost our spark or motivation in the past year.

It feels like things are moving quickly in the right direction, but is your passion for event planning returning at the same rate?

How to Get Your Wedding Planner Mojo Back

Spring Clean Your Business

As we return to more “normal” business operations, this is a perfect time to review and clean up the back-end pieces of your business, like your contracts, planning documents, website copy, email templates, etc. Think of it as a spring cleaning of your business.

All the tasks that get pushed to the back burner during a busy season can be done now. Clean up your Google Drive or Dropbox, archive past client files, and refresh your wedding day kit. Getting through this season of events without the internal to-do list hanging over your head will make you more excited to focus on your clients and their events.

Tighten Up Your Business Policies

Consider implementing a requirement that your clients procure event liability and cancellation insurance as part of their contract with you.

To the above, event insurance isn’t only important for your clients, it can also be important for your wedding planning business. Some vendors won’t offer refunds, no matter the circumstances. If you recommended a vendor who is reluctant to issue refunds, your clients could try to come back to you to recoup some of their lost money. By considering a requirement that your clients secure an event insurance policy for their special day, you’re not only helping protect against the unexpected, but you’re also helping protect the interest of your planning business.

Markel event insurance offers both event cancellation and event liability insurance for weddings, with policies starting as low as $75. Markel event insurance can be a great solution for your clients – a free event insurance quote from Markel takes only a few minutes online or on the phone. Get more information now on the Markel Insurance website on how you can recommend event insurance to your clients.

This is a great time to consult with your lawyer to review your existing wedding services contracts and determine if any changes should be made. Additionally, it is also important to review your existing policies concerning operating hours, client expectations, and your general boundaries with clients.

Decide What Changes You Want to Keep

What business-related lessons did you learn from your experiences during the pandemic? Consider adjusting your service descriptions to incorporate what you learned AND liked. For example, if you want all of your initial consultations to be virtual, make it clear when potential clients inquire. Everyone is going to have different silver linings from their experience over the past year. Just because things are getting back to normal does not mean that your business must return to pre-COVID policies. This is your business – make it what you want going forward.

Review Your Planning Services

Did you create new services during the pandemic? While some of your new services may not make sense to continue going forward, some may still be in demand. The rise of micro-weddings, streaming virtual events, and sending gift boxes to guests who cannot attend, are just a few of the creative ideas that wedding planners incorporated last year.

If you don’t want to let go of some of those creative ideas and services, then don’t let them go! The past year changed the wedding industry for the foreseeable future and any new services that you may have started offering could remain in high demand going forward. Instead of removing these services, consider thinking about whether you can incorporate them into your more traditional wedding services.

Related Post: Five strategies to help wedding businesses succeed

Above all, give yourself and your team a lot of grace as you get back to normal business operations. Even as states are easing restrictions, there are still a lot of personal comfort levels around masking, social distancing, vaccines, and simply returning to pre-pandemic life. Set aside time for self-care for you and your team and don’t expect to hit the ground running at 100%. As an industry, we have shared the experience of a tough year, so be gentle with yourself and with other wedding professionals.

*this post is sponsored by Markel Service, Incorporated

This blog is intended for general information purposes only, and should not be construed as advice or opinions on any specific facts or circumstances. The content of this document is made available on an “as is” basis, without warranty of any kind. This publication is not intended to be legal, underwriting, or any other type of professional advice.  Persons requiring advice should consult an independent adviser.  Markel does not guarantee any particular outcome and makes no commitment to update any information herein, or remove any items that are no longer accurate or complete. Coverage is provided by one or more of the insurance companies within Markel and policyholder services are provided by the underwriting manager, Markel Service, Incorporated, national producer license # 27585, in California d/b/a Markel Insurance Services, license # 0645481.  Certain products and services are provided through various non-admitted insurance company subsidiaries of Markel and are offered through licensed surplus lines brokers or through Markel West Insurance Services California license # 2E11302.