ST. LOUIS — On Monday, President Trump announced a recommendation to limit group sizes to fewer than 10 people as well as a warning about eating at restaurants amid growing concerns around the spread of the coronavirus.
Ji Min Lee said that was the final reinforcement she needed to officially postpone her wedding, which was originally scheduled for April 25, 2020.
“It just made me really nervous,” Lee said. “I felt like I was bargaining with luck," Lee said.
Lee said she and her fiance were holding out hope they could keep their spring wedding even if it meant having a smaller crowd, but she said she feels better after making the decision to move it to August.
"This isn’t just in the United States, it’s an international pandemic. So, I feel everyone is being super, super accommodating, so I’m appreciative," Lee said. "I called my venue and photographer first because that was the most important to me. Everyone has shown me a little grace and kindness through this whole process.”
On Monday, more than 100 wedding planners and vendors met in St. Louis to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the wedding industry.
Aaren Muex, owner of Divine Events, said the industry professionals at the meeting represent hundreds of weddings impacted by the virus.
"We want to take care of clients," Muex said. "We are really just wanting to be accommodating and focusing on customer service. We are also working with our vendors to be accommodating."
Muex said local planners are asking their clients to be flexible and work with them to cause the least amount of damage for the events themselves and to the businesses that put them on.
"What we are asking our clients to do is, first, to be calm," Muex said. "We want to make the day magical. If you're affected, the first step is talk to the venue and see if you can get a new range of dates, then come back to your vendors. If you have a planner, go to your venue and then planner. Don't cancel. Reschedule. You can salvage this."
Muex said local planners are prepared to work through phone and video calls, be flexible and put in the extra hours to accommodate their clients.
She also said that people planning for fall weddings should not worry about postponing or cancelling. She said this is the time to keep planning fall weddings until the industry has time to see how things play out.
Meanwhile, Pres. Trump's recommendation also impacts parents like Trynett Edwards who depend on the childcare industry and cannot afford to lose childcare.
"His father works for the postal service, he's a carrier," Edwards said. "I'm a respiratory therapist."
Edwards said her 1-year-old has to be in daycare because she and the child's father work jobs that must continue, even as the virus spreads.
Kim's Kids, where Edwards' child attends, decided to keep both its St. Louis and East St. Louis locations open because the centers serve many parents who are still having to go to work.
Director Sherry Davidson said the center already has strict sanitation practices and guidelines but is implementing even more precautions.
"We ask that only parents or grandparents enter the facility," Davidson said. We are sanitizing, washing hands, taking temperatures and practicing safe distancing as we have plenty of space," Davidson said. "We will always follow city, state and federal guidelines."
Davidson said the city is allowing facilities to operate with 50 children or fewer, and she said the centers are within that capacity. Additionally, staff is limiting class sizes for infants to four per room. For children 2 years old and older, the class sizes will be limited to eight.