Coronavirus Action plan
2020 is shaping up to be the year of unknown. I wanted to create a course of action to help my clients feel at ease and to ensure we are all on the same page. I cannot imagine how much stress you all are feeling as more and more information is being released about COVID-19. My goal is to be understanding, easy-to-work-with, and flexible during this time. I operate my photography business with core values of honesty, transparency, and respect. Your health and wellbeing are my absolute highest priority.
I am consistently keeping up to date with any regulations and recommendations being released by WHO, Health Canada, and Alberta Health Services. I am also closely monitoring my own health to ensure I do not contract or spread this virus.
Please take the time to read the information provided below carefully and thoroughly. I’m happy to answer any questions or concerns regarding this information!
How I Will Help
I will be extremely flexible with you regarding cancelation and postponement clauses stated in my contract. I’ve gone into this in detail below. There are many unknowns right now due to COVID-19, and I want to help make photography one less stressful thing to worry about.
I will wash my hands thoroughly before every wedding/photoshoot and avoiding touching my face during sessions.
I will not shake your hand or hug you when we meet.
I will not touch you while I photograph you. I will keep a 5 ft distance if possible during sessions unless you request a specific shot that requires me to get closer.
I will give you the option to Skype or Facetime instead of meeting over coffee.
I will be honest with you about my own health and my travel schedule.
I will minimize my personal exposure to large events, sick people, and crowded places as much as possible.
EVENT/SESSION TIPS AND ADVICE
PLEASE stay up to date with any recommendations being made by Alberta Health Services and Health Canada. No one ever wants to cancel or postpone their wedding/events, but these recommendations are created with good intentions to ensure the safety of our vulnerable and slow the spread of this virus. It is our job to follow through with these instructions, even if it means making hard decisions. There are ways to go forward to minimize the risk of yourselves, your family, your friends, and your wedding vendors. I say this with absolutely nothing but love, but I will be following any guidelines that are created by our government health officials to keep myself and my family safe by minimizing my exposure to this virus during its peak.
If you are getting married, keep your guests posted about ways you can help them! Post on your wedding website about the virus situation in the wedding location, and tell sick guests to PLEASE stay home. Tell people what precautions you will be taking as their wedding host. Keep them updated with travel plans. Communication goes a long way. Use your wedding website as a tool!
Include creative COVID-19 precautions during your wedding. An abundance of hand sanitizer, hand-washing-stations, masks, or gloves for dancing are all great prevention tools. If possible, create a larger space for your dance floor, so people don’t have to be so close together. Space tables out more. Find ways to be extra hygienic and make people feel safe.
Get creative about ways to include people who can’t be there. Worried that your grandparents or immunocompromised guests can’t make it? Find a way to live stream your ceremony and as much of the wedding as possible, so they can watch from afar. Or hire a videographer to capture the day for them to see later.
Communicate with vendors as much as possible if you are considering postponing your event. Many of our businesses will be financially compromised this year from the virus, so preparing for slower cash flow is essential. We are trying our best to help clients, but you can help us too by being open and honest about your choices as they are being made!
Be open to having a smaller wedding than you originally anticipated. It could be really special! I love photographing elopements, and I’d be happy to help you plan one instead of a bigger event if that is something that interests you.
Remember, we are all in this together. We are all a little scared. We are all being impacted financially and we are all worried about loved ones getting sick. Be kind. Be understanding. It will go a long way!
CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION FOR WEDDING CLIENTS
POSTPONING YOUR WEDDING DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
I completely understand that you may need to delay your event due to travel restrictions, quarantines, fear for the health of family members, or being sick yourself. If you decide to postpone your wedding to a new date, your deposit will transfer over, as long as I’m not already booked on the new date. Please reach out to me if you need to change dates so that I can accommodate you! I’m here to help.
If you move your wedding to a date that I am not available, I will give you back 50% of your retainer (and any additional payment you have made). I will also help you find a new photographer. The remaining 50% of your retainer will cover your engagement session that I have provided.
CANCELLING YOUR WEDDING DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
If you decide to cancel your wedding entirely, please know that I wholeheartedly understand. There is a lot of unknown and it is okay to cancel and wait until things settle down and are more guaranteed. Here are two options:
If you decide to cancel, and I will refund back 50% of your retainer. The remaining 50% of your retainer will cover your engagement session that I have provided.
OR, you could consider eloping! You can have an intimate elopement somewhere in nature, away from the virus and others. You can keep your original date or change it to a new one that I have available, and we’ll transfer the retainer to the new date. We can adjust the package you already have booked and create a new timeline. You can invite a smaller number of guests and celebrate with your closest people. You may also decide to elope and then plan a reception and dance once things have settled down. We can create you a custom package to provide coverage of both events!
PROTOCOL IF I AM SICK OR QUARANTINED LEADING UP TO YOUR WEDDING DATE
If I feel sick with any COVID-19 symptoms (cough, fever, body aches) before your wedding, I will inform you as soon as possible. I vow to be honest with you about my own health so that we can make an educated decision about your event. Due to the impending risk of exposing a large group of people to the virus, I will not be able to photograph your wedding should I develop these symptoms. I do this out of love for my clients. I simply cannot go against the recommendations of our government health officials and risk exposing large groups of people to this virus. Should this happen, here are two options:
I will secure a talented associate replacement photographer to photograph the event in my place. This will be an individual that I wholeheartedly trust. This individual will stylistically and technically match the level of my own work. I will still edit all your photos myself in my editing style. I will also give you a 10% discount off your total package to compensate for having a different photographer on the day of.
If you want to find another photographer by yourself, I will refund you in full, minus any engagement sessions or work already rendered. I can also help you find a replacement photographer if you need one.
Wedding clients, please do not hesitate to touch base with me if you have any questions or concerns with this information. I know this is all really hard and scary to process, but I am putting this plan of action into place to keep you, your family, and your friends safe. I would be happy to communicate why I have made these choices for you if you need further explanation!
CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION FOR PORTRAIT CLIENTS
POSTPONING YOUR SESSION DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
If you would like to postpone your session to a new date due to the virus, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your deposit will be transferred to the new date of your choice.
CANCELLING YOUR SESSION DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
If you would like to cancel your session due to the virus and/or quarantine regulations, please do not hesitate to contact me. You will be refunded in full and are welcome to rebook whenever you feel comfortable.
IF I AM SICK OR QUARANTINED LEADING UP TO YOUR SESSION
If I feel sick with any COVID-19 symptoms (cough, fever, body aches) before your session, I will inform you as soon as possible. I vow to be honest with you about my own health so that we can make an educated decision about your session. I will not be photographing any sessions if I am feeling any of these symptoms. Here are two options:
If you would like to postpone your session to a new date, your deposit will be transferred to a new date upon myself being medically cleared to safely interact with others.
If you would like to cancel your session, you will be refunded in full and are welcome to rebook whenever you feel comfortable/when I have been medically cleared to safely interact with others.
Portrait clients, please do not hesitate to touch base with me if you have any questions or concerns with this information. I know this is all really hard and scary to process, but I am putting this plan of action into place to keep you, your family, and your friends safe. I would be happy to communicate why I have made these choices for you if you need further explanation!
I love you all and am so grateful for your business, even amidst such uncertainty and uncharted territory. If there is anything I can do to help you navigate any decisions, please text, email, phone, or message me. We’re all in this together and we will get through this together. Thank you in advance for respecting my choices and decisions in this process. Your safety and wellbeing is really important to me, but I also want to do my part in protecting myself and my family through this. Please feel free to utilize the contact form below for questions and/or concerns.
With love,
Taylor xoxo