Let me start by saying this, I know you've all heard it before, I know you unengaged ladies think it will be different for you, I know you married girls are sitting there like "mhm I told ya so" but here I go...
Wedding planning is NOT easy.
Planning a wedding during a global pandemic, LOL. Didn't sign up for that.
But before I get to the wedding planning, or should I say at this point, re-planning, let me tell you a little about our pre-pandemic plans. We're set to exchange our vows this September at a gorgeous church on the Upper East Side, followed by a celebration of over 250 guests overlooking the New York City skyline. Of course, this sounds like a dream come true under normal circumstances but under COVID-19 circumstances, it's a recipe for postponement.
I'd rather not be social distancing from my loved ones on a day that is all about bringing friends and family close together. While I can admit I have been praying for an excuse to chop the guest list, I certainly don't want to be forced to do so because of regulations. And finally, walking down the aisle with a custom ITES beaded mask just isn't the look I was going for.
We got engaged within 5 days of me starting to run ITES full time. Remember when I said planning a wedding isn't easy? Well planning a wedding within a year in NYC is next level. Planning a wedding when you just quit your salaried corporate job to run your business full time, that's a challenge I could have done without and one that I will elaborate on at a later date. Now, replanning the whole thing due to a global pandemic, checkmate. I'm out.
While I definitely have ITES vision boards galore, I've never made one for my dream wedding. In fact, it took me about 6 full months to figure out what kind of bride I wanted to be. Who knew there were so many aesthetics to consider? Am I a Metropolitan bride? Chic bride? Ethereal bride? Bohemian bride? Luckily by the beginning of March I had finalized my vision just in time to be told I was nothing but a... Corona Bride.
I mentioned in my first blog post that I am a bit of a control freak. I also am a very decisive person. You could ask me to make any business decision and I will do so without looking back or second guessing. Something about making decisions for our wedding was different. I guess I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure it would be perfect, especially because we would only plan a wedding once in a lifetime. Little did I know, I shouldn't have been so worried because I am most definitely getting to plan this wedding twice, thank you corona.
Interestingly enough, while the stress of being a brand new full time entrepreneur made the stress of wedding planning even more overwhelming, owning my own business gave me a helpful perspective in the process. I knew off the bat I wanted to work with people who were striving to provide the best service and most importantly wanted to make our day special. I was looking to surround myself with a team of vendors for the wedding that run their businesses with the same values that I run Island to East Side. Now, as I embark on the replanning process, I'm humbled to experience how amazing some vendors and fellow business owners have handled these unprecedented circumstances. For the most part, everyone I've spoken with has been immensely understanding and helpful in terms of cancellations and postponements. Unfortunately, I have experienced firsthand working with some businesses that have a pretty disgraceful tone about this situation. It's disheartening to hear and experience this, both as a business owner and as a bride affected whose wedding is impacted by COVID-19. I hope to be a sounding board for all of you and to help my ITES brides navigate this situation. I look forward to continuing to shed some light on my own experiences, both favorable and unfavorable.
Above all, I'm writing to tell you that I, too, am in the same uncertain boat that so many of you, our customers, unfortunately are in. Since the start of the pandemic in early March, I have watched hundreds of emails roll in each week from our ITES brides requesting to have their wedding bags remade with new dates inside. Truth be told, six weeks ago I thought my biggest challenge was going to be sticking to the wedding diet through quarantine. I didn't think I'd eventually be in your shoes, but here I am! I guess on a brighter note, I don't have to be so worried about the wine I am drinking daily and the explosion of cooking and baking that is happening over here.
I think that last statement best describes my outlook. We have to find the bright side, the silver lining, to all of this. It's a hell of a lot to process and I just want to say, I hear you and I'm here to remind you that it's going to be ok. I have already connected with several of you on this topic over Instagram and invite you to continue to reach out to me as your COVID-19 wedding saga continues. I can promise you I will share an update on mine. Until then, as you keep changing your wedding dates on your calendars, we will keep changing them on your bags.
With so much uncertainty, I'll leave you with this. I have absolutely no idea when we will get married, all I know for sure is that when I do, my bridesmaids are going to have some gorgeous bags.
Stay safe, stay sane.
xoxo
Christina
Comment below if you would like me to get more into detail about any wedding related planning, topics, or postponement tips.
scott stabler
My Girlfriend left me for another man. I needed her back desperately because i loved her so much. I became very worried and needed help. as i was browsing through the internet, I came across a particular testimony about this good LORD RICHARD SPELL help get ex back fast and stop a divorce or breakup and so on , So I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he told me what to do and i did it then he did a (return Love spell) for me. 28 hours later, my girl friend came back to me crying and begging for my forgiveness. Today I’m so happy and i want to recommend this great spell caster to anyone that truly needs an urgent solution to his or her broken relationships and marriage email him at: lordrichardspell@gmail.com Simply contact the great “LORD RICHARD SPELL” If you have any problem contact him and i guarantee you that he will help you., do not cry anymore-contact this powerful spell caster now. Thank you LORD RICHARD SPELL for saving my broken relationships and brought my boyfriend back to me!” email him at:lordrichardspell@gmail.com
whats app him +1(360)884-0286.
scott stabler
My Girlfriend left me for another man. I needed her back desperately because i loved her so much. I became very worried and needed help. as i was browsing through the internet, I came across a particular testimony about this good LORD RICHARD SPELL help get ex back fast and stop a divorce or breakup and so on , So I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he told me what to do and i did it then he did a (return Love spell) for me. 28 hours later, my girl friend came back to me crying and begging for my forgiveness. Today I’m so happy and i want to recommend this great spell caster to anyone that truly needs an urgent solution to his or her broken relationships and marriage email him at: lordrichardspell@gmail.com Simply contact the great “LORD RICHARD SPELL” If you have any problem contact him and i guarantee you that he will help you., do not cry anymore-contact this powerful spell caster now. Thank you LORD RICHARD SPELL for saving my broken relationships and brought my boyfriend back to me!” email him at:lordrichardspell@gmail.com
whats app him +1(360)884-0286.
scott stabler
My Girlfriend left me for another man. I needed her back desperately because i loved her so much. I became very worried and needed help. as i was browsing through the internet, I came across a particular testimony about this good LORD RICHARD SPELL help get ex back fast and stop a divorce or breakup and so on , So I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he told me what to do and i did it then he did a (return Love spell) for me. 28 hours later, my girl friend came back to me crying and begging for my forgiveness. Today I’m so happy and i want to recommend this great spell caster to anyone that truly needs an urgent solution to his or her broken relationships and marriage email him at: lordrichardspell@gmail.com Simply contact the great “LORD RICHARD SPELL” If you have any problem contact him and i guarantee you that he will help you., do not cry anymore-contact this powerful spell caster now. Thank you LORD RICHARD SPELL for saving my broken relationships and brought my boyfriend back to me!” email him at:lordrichardspell@gmail.com
whats app him +1(360)884-0286.
Eryx Helga
I recently fell victim to Bitcoin trading scams with 3 different companies and one company I was trying to get a loan from. It is about $9000 in total that I have invested with these companies. I reported the issue to the authorities, but they could not do anything about it since scam reports are often ignored. One of the officers who seemed to be really moved by my situation gave me an email (cyberpunk@programmer.net) and told me that someone who had previously fell in a crypto scam managed to get their investments through the help of the contact. I emailed them immediately and provided all the contact numbers, email addresses and websites that they use and also all the emails with the BTC Transaction details. After what seemed like the longest three days of my life, I had the location details of all three scammers and my money in full. I thought I should share for anyone else in need.
Mavis Wanczyk
My name is Mavis Wanczyk, from Chicopee, Massachusetts. I’m excited to share my fantastic experience with Dr. Kachi, who is outstanding at lottery spell casting online. No matter where you are or how challenging your situation might be, Dr. Kachi can help you win in lotteries and other gambling games. If you’ve been searching for winning numbers without success, Dr. Kachi’s spells are known for providing the right numbers and lucky letters. Many have become millionaires after just one game using his powerful spells. I contacted Dr. Kachi shared the necessary details, and he provided me with six Powerball numbers: 6, 7, 16, 23 26, plus the Powerball number 4. I played them and won $758.7 Million! My life has changed dramatically, and I am incredibly thankful to Dr. Kachi. If you’re interested, you can reach Dr. Kachi by text or call at +1 (209) 893-8075, email him at drkachispellcast@gmail.com, or visit his website here https://drkachispellcaster.wixsite.com/my-site. Thank you so much, Dr. Kachi.