Daunting twists in tying the knot
Wedding planner at historic mansion discusses how pandemic has affected the industry and what lies ahead
Wedding planning, by nature, is almost never an easy task. But throw in a global pandemic, accompanied by public health orders and social distancing mandates put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 — and it has turned the wedding industry on its head.
Natalie Alvanez, director of sales and marketing at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, has seen the fallout firsthand.
Over the past six months, Alvanez has had to make countless difficult calls to anxious couples: canceling, postponing or downsizing dozens of weddings. And her sales and event team has been gutted, leaving nearly all the duties of putting on a wedding ceremony on her shoulders. No sooner does she take one step forward, she’s forced to take one step back in the face of ever- changing restrictions.
In April, for instance, Alvanez built new “micro-wedding” and elopement packages so couples could still enjoy the outdoor grounds of the Winchester Mystery House. After getting the all-clear to move ahead with the events, she was only able to host a couple of weddings before the county put out a new directive that outdoor wedding ceremonies were permitted but receptions of any kind were not — meaning her micro-wedding package was now off-limits as well.
To understand how the pandemic is affecting the wedding industry and how wedding planners like Alvanez are adjusting, this news organization recently connected with Alvanez for an interview that has been edited for length and clarity.
Q
How have you tried to adapt to the new restrictions brought on by the pandemic?