I’ve legit put off writing this blog post for the past month or so.. because of the fluid and ever-changing guidelines/situations, there was a reason I haven’t been publicly vocal about my feelings, thoughts, opinions, and straight disbelief as to the magnitude that COVID-19 has brought into all of our lives. I myself have felt in limbo, numb, and helpless. My heart aches for my couples and anyone having to reschedule, postpone, or alter any variation of their wedding they have been planning/imagining for months-years. Just know NOTHING could have prepared you for this. But I and many other wedding professionals are in your corner. We have all surfed a few waves of emotions, postponements, and well learning experiences throughout this. I’ve been sitting back and collecting as much government and local information I can along with taking notes on the industry as a whole. Today, I’m finally hopeful there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Here are my disclaimers before we dive into a sensitive subject for many.

1. I am not a medical professional. I have done my share of research from accredited sources and used my own logic and reasoning to put together information for those of you who might be planning from another state or country and want a locals opinion.
2. While I have been looking at other industry professionals for guidance, my thoughts and opinions may not reflect those of your other vendors. I can’t stress enough that we are all at different points in our personal and professional lives/stages of business and everyone’s policies may vary.
3. You and only you can make an informed decision based on your personal situation. I am being as accommodating and open minded as I can be to support you all through these uncharted waters. How you choose to move forward with your event/planning is completely up to you!
4. I will be following up to date CDC and Nevada mandates and guidelines as I resume back to work. Below are the most recent updates from Governor Sisolak.

The most recent roadmap to recovery reopening plan was release on 5/26 with the following guidelines. We are entering phase 2 on Friday, May 29th. Phase 2 is expecting to last 2-3 weeks (as they monitor data and evaluate trends/progress) and is still maintaining strict social distancing guidelines but many business are now able to open if they adhere to those guidelines in place. We are still being asked to wear face coverings in public and maintaining at least six feet of social distancing in public and around people from other households. The major news for those of you planning a wedding is restrictions on celebrations and gatherings of 10 or less has been lifted to 50. YAY!!

Other business/information that may be relevant to your wedding. It is as follows – restaurants and food establishments (including bars and taverns) are now open and need to remain at 50% capacity with social distancing. Yes, I started with food and alcohol because I enjoy both. Salons, aesthetic, or skincare services may open under strict protocol and will be by appointment only. Workers, customers, and clients should wear face coverings. Spas/gyms are also re-opening but all communal facilities will remain closed such as locker rooms, steam rooms, saunas, and hot tubs. BUT aquatic facilities, waterparks, and swimming pools may reopen. Many forms of nonlive entertainment will also be reopening such as museums, art galleries, zoos, aquariums, movie theaters, bowling alleys, and THANK JESUS the malls. For a full chart of whats open you can click the link below.

https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Roadmap-to-Recovery-Chart-vFINAL.pdf

A target date for gaming has been set for June 4th. The governor is “confident” on this date as of now. I’ll update which hotels and casinos plan on re-opening once announced.

My advice for those of you considering postponing your event is simple. Make an informed decision based on your own personal circumstances. Many of us have taken a financial hit so you may need to scale back your event or the size/guest count and that is OK! Some of you may not want to scale back and have decided to postpone to next year and that is OK! Please just follow what you want, try to take your friend’s and family’s opinions with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, your love story should be what you want. I know that’s why many of you run off to Vegas anyways! We are the “wedding capital of the world” for a reason! If being married is most important to you – know the marriage bureau is open and serving couples just like you who couldn’t wait. I’m down for whatever adventure you have in mind! Below are the guidelines for obtaining proper paperwork.

http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/clerk/Pages/covid19info.aspx

For those of you who want to know what others are doing/what I am seeing is as follow. Practically everyone who had an event in April-July has rescheduled to the following year or had to cancel from unforeseeable out of the country travel restrictions. August weddings should have a plan B in place by now if they have decided to move forward accommodating smaller guest counts. There will be accommodations finally available so those who want to travel can. We should be in phase 3 by August/September at our current rate (given with everything opening we maintain the decline of cases) I’d continue to plan as usual for anything in September and beyond deeming you safe from postponing especially if you are traveling within the US. Again, that is my personal opinion. I’m here for you, so please reach out with any questions!

Sources

https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/5.26-post-presser-release.pdf

https://gaming.nv.gov/index.aspx?recordid=2292&page=16

https://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=16731

http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/clerk/Pages/default.aspx