For more than 70 years, thousands of brides have traveled to Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City to find their wedding day looks. From the moment you walk through the doors, you’ll feel the magic of Kleinfeld. Not only does Kleinfeld have 30,000 square feet filled with the largest selection of wedding dresses in the world, it also has the greatest professional staff of over 200 employees who are dedicated to finding and perfecting your bridal look.
Photo: Jacqui Cole
The coronavirus pandemic has sent shockwaves through the wedding industry. Whether you’re in the midst of planning your wedding, considering postponing, or choosing a new wedding date, brides, vendors and wedding planners alike have all been affected during this time. But how has this pandemic affected hotel stays and honeymoons? We asked the experts all about canceling guests accommodations for out-of-town wedding guests and how to go about rescheduling your honeymoon, below.
Canceling Your Hotel Block
As soon as you postpone your wedding date and all that comes with it, you’ll need to notify your guests and cancel the accommodations you had set in place for them for when they traveled to your wedding. If you didn’t use Kleinfeld Hotel Blocks‘ complimentary service when you booked your hotel blocks for your wedding guests, let us fill you in on the process. Owners Laura and Michelle and their entire team (with over 30 years of experience) will search, negotiate and book your hotel block for your out-of-town wedding guests for you for free—saving you time, energy, and money. And because they leverage their hotel relationships to get you the best deals and rates at any hotel worldwide, they also are the experts at canceling your blocks with ease. We asked them how they go about canceling accommodations for wedding guests, below.
As soon as you decide to postpone, cancel your block.
The faster you can make this decision and get in touch with the hotel, the better. Not only will the hotel likely be more flexible if you give them more advanced notice, but you’ll likely be able to reschedule this block to a more desirable date. Plus, if you used KHB for your hotel blocks, they can handle the cancellation process for you without having to lift a finger. “We are able to make contact with the hotels very easily through our specifically designed software we have between us and over 300,000 hotels nationwide,” explains co-owner Laura. “If a couple needs to reschedule their block, they can reach out to us and we have a remote staff up and running that can assist them right away,”
Once you have a new date, rebook.
As soon as you’ve narrowed down a new date, work to rebook your block of hotels as soon as possible. This way, you have a better chance of getting the dates you want at the hotel of your choice. The quicker you move here, the more likely you are to get the best outcome.
Be patient.
“Many hotels, such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt, as well as independent hotels are temporarily closed for the time being, so it’s hard to reach these hotels,” says co-owner Michelle. “Due to the extensive hospitality contact network we have cultivated over the past 7 years, we’re thankfully able to locate a sales member who can rebook the wedding block for the couple,” If you booked your block of hotels on your own, don’t stress—call their customer service line, be patient, and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to rebooking.
Rescheduling Your Honeymoon
Named as the best advisors for honeymoons and destination weddings by Travel & Leisure and Condé Nast, The Travel Siblings know a thing or two about how to reschedule your honeymoon successfully (and as stress-free as possible). We got the scoop from Harlan and Kara—read on, below.
Just like your hotel block, cancel or postpone as soon as possible.
“Don’t assume the airline or hotel is going to automatically cancel your reservation,” says The Travel Siblings. Make sure you do your due diligence and call your airline and hotel and notify them of postponement or cancellation before planning anything new. “At this point, there are still flights and hotels accepting reservations in the coming weeks so you can be flagged as a no show,” they explain. Notifying the correct parties will avoid costly fees and get you ahead of the game as soon as possible. Plus, with all the change fee policy changes that airlines are enacting, you might even get to change your flights free of charge, depending on when you were set to fly out.
When choosing a new honeymoon date, consider the weather.
“Think about your destination of choice and how it aligns with the weather patterns in the coming months,” says The Travel Siblings. “For example, if you are really set on a seasonal destination like Mykonos, you may have no choice but to reschedule for the following summer,” Certain places, like Hawaii for instance, have similar weather patterns all year—so you may luck out. Unsure of when best to rebook? Take advantage of your travel agent, if you have one. “[Travel agents] are your ultimate resource during this trying time. They will have access and connections to airlines and hotels around the world, making the rebooking process much less stressful for you,” says Harlan and Kara.
Read your terms and conditions.
Make sure you’re reading all the fine print on your trip, from flights to accommodations, especially if booked through a tour operator. “Where you may have deposited or paid in full for a safari or adventure trip, most of the tour operators and destination management companies are allowing couples to rebook within a 12 month period where normally you would be charged a penalty for cancellation,” says Harlan and Kara. And don’t stress about your new future honeymoon date and whether or not you’ll be able to travel by then, explains the Travel Siblings. “Keep in mind that reputable tour companies are indeed monitoring government travel restrictions month to month,”
Be prepared and flexible.
With any date change, there is the possibility of a change in rates—so be prepared when it comes to your budget. “Not all resorts and airlines are honoring the same fares and rates so be prepared to pay a cost difference,” Harlan and Kara explain. But, with that, many prominent hotel chains and companies are being very accommodating during this time. “Hotel chains such as Four Seasons have been extremely accommodating during this time and have offered refunds whereas other hotels are offering a credit to postpone. If this is the case, it’s important to try to see if the hotel will honor the same rate for future bookings. Be aware that this may not be possible everywhere but worth a try!”
Purchase travel insurance if you don’t already have it.
“Most unused insurance policies can be postponed for future travel dates. If you did not take insurance before, be sure to take out a policy next time around,” says Harlan and Kara. You might be thinking that this insurance can be used in regards to coronavirus—think again. “Believe it or not most policies were not underwritten to cover a pandemic,” says the Travel Siblings, ” however it does cover things like medical evacuation, quarantine, and trip interruption so always a great investment.”