“I’m watching my 2020 year disappear,” says event planner Kaeli Garcia.
Since early March, Garcia, owner of Luna Soiree (and daughter of Observer publisher Patricia Garcia), has been swamped with phone calls from frantic mothers, teary brides, and corporate administrators. “People are nervous and scared about the virus, and they’re all canceling events in the foreseeable future,” she says. Most of her clients have chosen to reschedule in 2021.
“I’m cautiously optimistic about events planned for this fall, but I’m extremely careful about the contracts I’m negotiating and renegotiating now,” she says. I’m making sure the verbiage very clearly spells out what happens in case of cancellations. The paper trail is keeping me very busy.”
“The sooner a vaccine is available, the better off everyone will be, of course. I would love to see events happening sooner rather than later, but I certainly don’t want to contribute to the susceptibility and spread of the disease.”
