COVID-19: The Possible Effects On The Charleston SC Weddings

You might recall from history class back in high school that Charleston, SC was the place where the first shots were fired to kick off the Civil War back in 1861. It's those types of historical events that have peaked the interests of tourists for years and years. The rich history of Charleston is one of the many reasons that people from all over the country have put this truly beautiful city on the map and love coming to visit.  Part of putting Charleston on the map involved making it one of the most sought after wedding destinations in America in a relatively short amount of time. Unfortunately,  the beautiful city of Charleston is under siege right now and is beginning to embark on a different kind of war that no generation in modern times has ever seen.  Unlike the more predictable war that was started in the Holy City way back when with shots fired from cannons and muskets, this war is almost invisible, but stands to temporarily cripple the wedding industry here in Charleston. As one of the top Charleston Wedding DJs, COVID-19 is something no one in the Charleston wedding industry has ever seen, but like all other disasters that have hit this great city, we will come through this and on the other side will be back to hosting some of the most beautiful and elegant weddings in the country.  In the meantime, the state of the wedding season here in Charleston  is in a constant state of flux due to COVID-19.

Ever since 2015, Charleston has endured a 1000 Year flood, as well as the effects of Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, Florence, and most recently Dorian. It's become a pastime that in late August we wedding vendors turn to the tropical updates on our local TV stations. Spaghetti models become a part of our wedding plans and we might even discuss a "hurricane plan" with our clients.  The big difference between watching a hurricane out in the tropics for days on end is as time goes by, the picture becomes clearer in how we will react to the hurricane if it should begin to threaten the Charleston, SC area or even the South Carolina coast all together. 

What CoronaVirus In Charleston?
Back in late February, I was preparing for 2 early March weddings and there was  zero discussion on COVID-19 possibly disrupting those weddings or having any adverse effects on the upcoming wedding season.  Since that last wedding back on March 7, the cases of CoronaVirus have exploded through out the country and in recent days the disruptions have begun.  The huge difference between COVID-19 versus the average hurricane scare is no one knows how this is going to end. No one knows when this is going to end or not become a threat anymore. Schools have closed all over SC and in other parts of the country through the end of March, but in today's 10 minute CoronaVirus news cycle, March 31, 2020 is a long way away. Fingers are crossed that things look better by March 31, but you have to assume that April will also be in doubt, especially with some of the biggest Charleston-area events already cancelled or postponed like the Cooper River Bridge Run and the Volvo Car Open.


The Boone Hall Cotton Dock is one of the most popular plantation venues.

Your Charleston Wedding And COVID-19
I want all of my present clients, as well as future clients to know that I am here for you. I am watching over this crisis like I would do for anything that might put a damper on anyone's wedding that I am contracted to be the DJ for.  I want you to know that I will work with you to the best of my ability should your wedding need to be postponed or rescheduled.  I hate to use the word "cancel" as it pertains to someone's wedding especially since you most likely have put thousands of hard-earned dollars into your big day. Working with my clients in this manner is the right thing to do in such an uncertain time.  You have my word on this.   At the time of pulbication of this blog post, the city of Charleston has put some rather strict regulations in effect regarding how many people can congregate at any one time at a venue. If you happen to have a wedding with under 50 people, you might not affected by this rule, but some of the larger weddings look to be impacted by this temporary ruling by the city.  And also, since Charleston gets a large amount of destination weddings, the possible effects on air travel is creating even more uncertainty as it pertains to how your guests can get to your wedding.


Lowndes Grove is one of the most popular Charleston wedding venues.

What If You Need To Reschedule Your Wedding Due To COVID-19?
I'm not a wedding planner or coordinator, I only get to work with some of the best and most talented in Charleston, but if you do have a planner, call them and explore your options. 
Did You Purchase Wedding Insurance?  If you purchased insurance, you did the right thing, the only problem is that "CoronaVirus" may not be covered.
Choose A New Date:  Talk to your wedding venue about a new date, but understand that since you probably booked a year in advance that dates that are close to the old date may not be available.
Talk To Your Wedding Vendors: The true professional wedding vendors WILL do everything in their power to accomodate your new date, especially in my company as I work closely with my clients in creating the best soundtrack for their big day here in Charleston.



How To Reschedule Your Charleston Wedding Date For The CoronaVirus
For more information on what to do about postponing or rescheduling your wedding, you are invited to check out this article down below from Brides.com. It was just published today and is tailored for the modern bride and groom affected by the CoronaVirus outbreak. Click the image of the pretty azaleas down below, because in the midst of this pandemic, Charleston is getting ready to explode with floral beauty, and seeing those flowers should cheer you up a little.. You'll feel a lot better about rescheduling / postponing your wedding because it covers ALL the bases. If you'd like to talk about it some more, let's schedule a time to talk.


Music Is A Huge Part Of Our Lives And Can Get Us Through Anything
I was talking with a very good friend yesterday and he's a DJ and I am a DJ and we were discussing the music of today versus the 80s and 90s. I asked him to imagine a world without music. Think for a moment what this life would be like without ANY music. At first thought, it would be a world that would lack imagination and consume with us boredom.  It's a life that I would never want to experience.   Every single aspect of our lives comes with it a soundtrack of some sort.  What would we do if we didn't become emotionally attached to our favorite songs? How would we survive during a crisis of this magnitude?  I don't want to think about such things, but I will remind you that I am a professional wedding DJ and music is my speciality and modern brides and grooms hire me because they have researched my track record as one of the best in the Charleston wedding market.  

Find My Music Playlists Over On My Spotify Right Now
What started as a project at the latter part of January is still going strong as I continue to sift through my blog and proceed with the conversion of previously published blog posts into Spotify.  Moving my playlists over to Spotify has been a very important feature add for the modern  bride and groom who are into their music and come to me with their playlists when they hire me.  You can find me over on Spotify by searching for DJ Mike Bills. Be sure to continue to follow me because there will be more and more playlists added in the coming weeks.  I've got music playlists over there from multiple decades and genres and I am pretty certain you find something over there right now that will put a smile on your face in these dark and uncertain times.




Care To Talk To Mike Bills About Being Your Wedding DJ?
I'm going to wrap up this post about the possible effects of the Coronavirus on the upcoming Charleston wedding season with a song.  Have you ever heard a song that no matter what your mood is when you hear the song you'll begin to smile and think positive thoughts?  I was in the grocery store earlier tonight and this song came over the speaker and I immediately began to smile.   Originally released back in the summer of 1972, Johnny Nash would make "I Can See Clearly Now" a Number 1  hit on the Hot 100 chart.  But at the latter part of 1993, reggae singer Jimmy Cliff would re-record the song for the movie soundtrack to Cool Runnings, and would score a Top 10 single on the adult contemporary chart. Jimmy Cliff's reggae-infused version always give me positive vibes when I hear it.  After this CoronaVirus dies down, we will all be able to see clearly and begin once again being one of the top wedding destinations in the country, We will survive. Click the links down below to listen to the song on You Tube and Spotify. 
I Can See Clearly Now | Jimmy Cliff 
Listen On Spotify
Click the link up above to chat with Mike about the effects of the Coronavirus / COVID-19 on the upcoming season or to talk about saving your upcoming wedding date. Thank you for visiting my blog!  When you are stuck inside waiting for COVID-19 to pass and need some guidance on how to find your wedding DJ, download the Mike Bills Podcast from Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.