Advertisement

Coronavirus: Should I cancel my destination wedding, stag or hen do?

Flight cancellations, closed borders and bans on mass gatherings have put a spanner in the works for those with upcoming destination weddings and holidays abroad.

Aside from the immediate issues relating to logistics and planning, there are also fears of elderly and vulnerable guests putting themselves at risk of contracting coronavirus just to be present for the big day.

So should you be cancelling your wedding in a virus-hit country? And what about destination hen and stag parties, and holidays, too?

Make a note of your final times to cancel

The spread of COVID-19 has led to a lot of uncertainty about what the landscape will look like in the next few weeks - and even months.

To avoid making any decisions that may eventually be unnecessary, SmartFlyer luxury travel adviser Lesley Cohen says planners should note in their calendars any cancellation deadlines that could save you a deposit.

Check your insurance

"Don't do anything without speaking to your insurance company," Bernadette Chapman, the founder of the UK Wedding Planners Alliance, told planning site Hitched.

She said: "If you decide to cancel, your wedding suppliers and venues will be treating that as a straightforward cancellation, so do check the terms and conditions before doing so."

Ms Chapman also said such cancellations due to fears of COVID-19 would unlikely be covered by insurance companies, of which many have recently suspended giving out new policies to couples wanting to protect their wedding day.

"Speak with a lawyer or your insurers if you are unsure," she added.

Consider postponing

If you are going on holiday and have booked a package deal, you should be protected by ABTA or ATOL. This would allow you to either postpone or get a refund.

For those who have booked elements separately - which is also relevant to those getting married - many companies are now offering an option to reschedule plans at a later date.

Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel, said: "Thanks to increased flexibility being offered by airlines and travel operators during the crisis, passengers are likely to be given the option to rebook for a later date, or claim a refund."

But for those who are travelling in the next few months, he said it's important "not to jump the gun and cancel your plans too far in advance."

He added: "You won't automatically be due rebooking or a refund if you cancel when travel is still weeks away."

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Check the travel advice for the country you are travelling to

Whether you're getting married, going on holiday or celebrating your stag and hen dos, you should check the government's travel advice for your destination before you go.

So far, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued a travel warning against visiting the following countries due to COVID-19:

FCO has also advised against all travel to the following: Argentina, Albania, Burma, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kosovo, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Malawi, Malta, Morocco, Mongolia, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

Travellers are also advised against travelling to Madeira and the Azores in Portugal and the South Korean cities of Daegu, Cheongdo and Gyeongsan.

Jay Broughton, the managing director of Funktion Events, told Bride Magazine that planners must consider whether "the group as a whole is prepared to travel first."

He added: "Make sure you and everyone in your group keep up to date with all the travel advice and Government information and ensure everyone in your group has travel insurance.

"This is vital to any form of travelling within the UK or overseas, but you definitely want to be covered if you need to cancel your hen/stag weekend due to self-isolation or travel restrictions coming into effect."

Is it safe for guests or are there alternatives?

If you haven't taken the decision to cancel you trip, and all travel plans appear to be going ahead, the final piece is to make sure your destination is prepared.

Speaking about weddings, Ms Chapman said: "Contact all of your suppliers and venue and ask if they have additional health and safety measures in place.

"Have they put restrictions on staff travel, for example? Will you have confirmation that no-one working on your wedding day will have been to an infected country within 14 days of your wedding?"

Meanwhile, you could consider alternatives for your more vulnerable guests - something celebrant Deborah Page has considered by offering recording and livestreaming of her ceremonies.

"Currently, I will not be cancelling any ceremonies from a celebrant perspective. If you have guests who are unable to attend your ceremony because of travel restrictions or other related issues, I will explore live streaming and recording your ceremony with you," she told Bride magazine.

"I know it's not quite the same, but we will do what we can to help them feel as much a part of your special day as is possible."

Sky News will broadcast a special programme at 6pm, with experts answering your questions #AskSkyNews at 12.30pm.