'I got a little panicked': Coronavirus causing concern for soon-to-be brides

OVERSEAS. NOW SHE IS WONDERING IF SHE SHOULD CANCEL HER HONEYMOON. HOMEMADE BOOT CAN COVER THE KITCHEN TABLE AT HER HOME IN OUR WIN. >> THE WEDDING HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR TWO YEARS. >> SHE AND HER HUSBAND PLAN TO HONEYMOON IN ANTIGUA. >> JUST WASH OUR WORRIES AWAY AT THE BEACH AND SIT BACK AND RELAX. >> AS THE NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS IS -- CORONAVIRUS CASES STARTED TO GROW, SO DID HER CONCERNS. SHE WORRIES THINGS CAN PICKUP. >> WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BOOK EXCURSIONS. I AM NOT SURE WHAT IF ANY MONEY WE WOULD GET BACK SINCE IT IS PAID IN FULL. >> TRAVEL AGENTS ARE TRYING TO SQUASH FEARS. I SPOKE WITH AN AGENT OVER THE PHONE WHO TELLS ME YOU SHOULD AVOID VIRUS HOTSPOTS BUT UNLESS YOUR DESTINATION PUTS RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE, YOU SHOULD STILL GO ON YOUR TRIP. THE COUPLE IS HOLDING OUT ON CHANGING ANY PLANS, BUT TIME COULD COST HER MONEY. >> IT WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO CANCEL BECAUSE WE ARE SO CLOSE. >> THE TRAVEL AGENT I SPOKE WITH SAYS HE ALWAYS RECOMMENDS BOOKING TRAVEL INSURANCE WHEN YOU ARE BOOKING YOUR TRIP. HE SAYS TO MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS OPT FOR THE CANCEL FOR ANY REASON OPTIO

Shannon Squires has been planning her April wedding and honeymoon for two years, but as the date draws closer her concerns about the coronavirus, are increasing. The couple plan to honeymoon in the Caribbean island of Antigua. Hardly any cases have been reported in the Caribbean, but Squires is afraid things could pick up. "We've been following our Instagram pages and trying to book excursions," Squires told WTAE in Pittsburgh. "I'm not sure what if any money we would get back since it's paid in full as well."Raymond Crocket, with Ray's Travel Company, said agents are trying to educate their clients and also squash fears. He recommends unless your destination puts a travel restriction in place, you should still plan to go on your trip but also keep an eye on advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Squires is holding off on canceling anything just yet. She said she has until the end of March to cancel and still get most of her money back."It would be devastating to have to cancel at this point since we are so close," Squires said.Virus shutting down production Brides across the globe have had other concerns about how coronavirus could affect their weddings. A bride-to-be in Kansas City told KMBC she was scrambling to get new bridesmaids dresses after the coronavirus shut down production in China.Sydney Patterson never expected to be shopping for bridesmaid dresses two weeks before her wedding. She just found out the dresses her bridesmaids ordered months ago would not be ready in time. "I got a little panicked," she said. The company that makes the original dresses told her the coronavirus outbreak in China has halted production."Then I just was, like, 'OK. Who the heck do I know? I need to talk to my bridesmaids and start making phone calls,'" Patterson said. It's an unexpected bump just 15 days before the wedding."I wouldn't have thought of it," said Yvonne Patterson, Sydney Patterson's mother. "I think that's the biggest surprise to me, something that's happening in the world impacts a wedding."Sydney Patterson is taking it all in stride."Definitely not ideal for the additional stress, but if this is the worst thing that happens, that's alright," she said.Gown Gallery in Kansas City helped Patterson come up with a plan, using dresses they have in stock and working with a designer to make any additional dresses they need.Backup plans for bridesAbout 70% of wedding dresses in the U.S. are imported from China, and many brides haven't planned for the coronavirus health crisis in China to disrupt the creation and shipping of their perfect dress."There will be problems. They can't get to their plant. Maybe some of the factory workers are stuck in the province of where they are, so they can't get out to get back to work," Janell Berte, owner of POSH Bridal in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, told WGAL. Some bridal shops have to plan."A lot of these stores do have extra gowns for backup," Berte said. Berte said her brides should be fine because she has diversified her dress inventory."We went around the world. Our gowns come from Spain and from Lebanon and from Ukraine and from Romania. It has really kind of deflected a lot of the issues of what's happening right now," she said.Berte said there is a benefit to going to a shop."If you buy a gown online that comes direct from China, if they can't get it out, they're not going to care that you're getting married that day, that month. You may not see the gown. You may not see your money. So, why risk it?" Berte said.At Natalie M. bridal shop in Kansas City, workers have been tracking orders coming out of China and helping brides whose orders are on hold or have been cancelled find a new dress. "In the past, we'd say go ahead and order it, they'll manufacture it. It'll be here in time. I can't do that today. Today I have to say, 'You know what sweetheart? We need to find you a different dress," said Lisa Carson, a stylist at Natalie M. It is not just the dresses; it's everything that it takes to make the dress that is now on hold, Carson told KMBC. "What people need to understand is even if the factory where the goods are manufactured is up and running, maybe it's the factory where the fabric is made or the notions are made, so there's all those different pieces of the supply chain and they need to all be back online," she said.

Shannon Squires has been planning her April wedding and honeymoon for two years, but as the date draws closer her concerns about the coronavirus, are increasing.

The couple plan to honeymoon in the Caribbean island of Antigua. Hardly any cases have been reported in the Caribbean, but Squires is afraid things could pick up.

"We've been following our Instagram pages and trying to book excursions," Squires told WTAE in Pittsburgh. "I'm not sure what if any money we would get back since it's paid in full as well."

Raymond Crocket, with Ray's Travel Company, said agents are trying to educate their clients and also squash fears. He recommends unless your destination puts a travel restriction in place, you should still plan to go on your trip but also keep an eye on advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

Squires is holding off on canceling anything just yet. She said she has until the end of March to cancel and still get most of her money back.

"It would be devastating to have to cancel at this point since we are so close," Squires said.

Virus shutting down production

Brides across the globe have had other concerns about how coronavirus could affect their weddings.

A bride-to-be in Kansas City told she was scrambling to get new bridesmaids dresses after the coronavirus shut down production in China.

Sydney Patterson never expected to be shopping for bridesmaid dresses two weeks before her wedding. She just found out the dresses her bridesmaids ordered months ago would not be ready in time.

"I got a little panicked," she said.

The company that makes the original dresses told her the coronavirus outbreak in China has halted production.

"Then I just was, like, 'OK. Who the heck do I know? I need to talk to my bridesmaids and start making phone calls,'" Patterson said.

It's an unexpected bump just 15 days before the wedding.

"I wouldn't have thought of it," said Yvonne Patterson, Sydney Patterson's mother. "I think that's the biggest surprise to me, something that's happening in the world impacts a wedding."

Sydney Patterson is taking it all in stride.

"Definitely not ideal for the additional stress, but if this is the worst thing that happens, that's alright," she said.

Gown Gallery in Kansas City helped Patterson come up with a plan, using dresses they have in stock and working with a designer to make any additional dresses they need.

Backup plans for brides

About 70% of wedding dresses in the U.S. are imported from China, and many brides haven't planned for the coronavirus health crisis in China to disrupt the creation and shipping of their perfect dress.

"There will be problems. They can't get to their plant. Maybe some of the factory workers are stuck in the province of where they are, so they can't get out to get back to work," Janell Berte, owner of POSH Bridal in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, told .

Some bridal shops have to plan.

"A lot of these stores do have extra gowns for backup," Berte said.

Berte said her brides should be fine because she has diversified her dress inventory.

"We went around the world. Our gowns come from Spain and from Lebanon and from Ukraine and from Romania. It has really kind of deflected a lot of the issues of what's happening right now," she said.

Berte said there is a benefit to going to a shop.

"If you buy a gown online that comes direct from China, if they can't get it out, they're not going to care that you're getting married that day, that month. You may not see the gown. You may not see your money. So, why risk it?" Berte said.

At Natalie M. bridal shop in Kansas City, workers have been tracking orders coming out of China and helping brides whose orders are on hold or have been cancelled find a new dress.

"In the past, we'd say go ahead and order it, they'll manufacture it. It'll be here in time. I can't do that today. Today I have to say, 'You know what sweetheart? We need to find you a different dress," said Lisa Carson, a stylist at Natalie M.

It is not just the dresses; it's everything that it takes to make the dress that is now on hold, Carson told .

"What people need to understand is even if the factory where the goods are manufactured is up and running, maybe it's the factory where the fabric is made or the notions are made, so there's all those different pieces of the supply chain and they need to all be back online," she said.

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