What our brides need to know about the Corona Virus

Hello and welcome back to the MaeMe Bridal podcast. I’m your host Melissa Estess, and today we are talking about what we know thus far about the Corona Virus and how it will impact the bridal industry and what our brides should know. As a registered nurse turn bridal boutique owner, I can definitely see both the infectious disease conservative recommendations as a necessity for our country and moving forward with as much precaution as possible, as well as the concern for the economy and small business owners who will be effected by such regulations. For healthy individuals under 50, the Corona virus is not especially lethal. The mortality rate from the Corona virus is quite low, but it becomes more lethal in older populations. We want to minimize the spread of the virus so that as health care resources are needed, they are available to the people that need them the most. I will do my best to be as transparent as possible as we navigate the current situation together.

First and foremost, we as a company do not operate out of fear. We will continue to make wise, cautious and calculated decisions, as we always do. We are continuing to maintain a clean, organized, and calm environment. We have a strict employee policy that keeps anyone home that has any type of fever or flu-like symptoms with paid time off as to encourage staff to stay home when they are under the weather. We are expanding that policy to include if anyone in their home has a fever, we will require them to stay home. As such, we will encourage our clientele to follow the same restrictions.

The boutique is cleaned every day, and we will continue to provide the same attention to detail and cleanliness as always.

We will encourage our brides to limit the guests they bring with them to the boutique for the same reasoning, less chance of spreading germs. Again, check with your guests before the appointment and encourage anyone who isn’t feeling well to stay home. This is just generalized best practice! We know how important it is to include ALL of your loved ones, so if anyone is not able to attend your appointment when you find your dream dress, we would be happy to accommodate them with a celebration appointment so you can bring them back in boutique at a later date to show them your dress and toast with champagne!

The real risk with any type of virus, including the Corona virus, is the spread from person to person. We’ve had a few people ask if their wedding dress might have the virus somehow “in” it, and the answer is no. The virus can not live on a surface for longer than 12 hours. The time between the last person handling the gown and arrival to our boutique is far greater than 12 hours- packaging, quality control, international shipping, customs process, domestic shipping, etc… so that is not a concern.

So, let’s talk about dresses and what this looks like for real brides.

We work with exceptional designers who work with integrity, quality, responsibility and extremely high standards. We have NEVER in 10 years missed a wedding date, and we intend to continue on that journey!

Our designers have warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and headquarters all over the world, including Europe, Asia, Canada, and the US. Designers are prioritizing orders and ship dates based on brides’ wedding dates and urgency of orders. At this time, we are not experiencing large delays. Currently, the travel ban does not include cargo, so orders are still being delivered on time. Obviously, we are playing this whole scenario out day by day like everyone else, but what I want to reiterate is that we have options, we are not panicking, and we will continue to offer our brides the absolute best service and support as possible.

For our 2020 brides, rest assured. If you’ve said YES to your dress, Your orders have been placed, and our factories are currently up and running, working on your dress! All estimated delivery dates are still on track. If you have not said YES to your dress yet, and you are concerned that your wedding date is quickly approaching and you do not have a dress, our inventory is all available to purchase off the rack, and you can take your dream dress home with you any day! We have dresses ranging from sizes 8-32 (and remember, a size 8 in bridal is like a 4 in regular clothing).

Due to the global impact the corona virus may have, lead times on new gown orders may be longer than the usual 4-6 months. As a precaution, we are encouraging all 2021 brides to order your wedding gown 10-12 months in advance of your wedding to ensure ample time for your gown to be produced, shipped, and altered. Again, if you are nervous about the oversees component of imports and exports and possible delays, I encourage you to shop for your wedding gown and consider purchasing your dress out of our in-stock inventory.

We will continue to update our customers as we have more information, and I am more than happy to discuss any concerns or questions you may have with you! As always, thank you for listening. Please feel free to share this episode with a bride to be who might benefit from listening! If you’d like to make an appointment, please call the boutique at 504.266.2771 or book online!

Have a wonderful day!

Xoxo,

Melissa