Andrea Santos Makeup

Wedding Venues Ask for Patience During Uncertain Time

As the Governor’s Executive Order due to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep New Jersey sheltered in place, the wedding and special event venues throughout the state continue to work with wedding couples and those planning special events to reschedule their celebrations to later dates in 2020 and early 2021.

While the State of New Jersey is maintaining strict social distancing guidelines, only a shortlist of businesses has been deemed as essential and allowed to continue operations. Even those who remain open have needed to adopt new protocols to operate safely.

The shortlist does not include wedding venues and catering halls. Therefore, the wedding industry is facing extreme financial hardship during this time. However, we are confident that we will get through the pandemic and look forward to hosting successful events with our couples when we’re able to reopen.

Therefore, the venues have been asking for patience from those with planned event dates as they navigate these difficult times. This particularly is true for those who have had to postpone events during the past three months, but also those planning events in July, August, and September – whose dates have not been canceled yet by an extension of Governor Murphy’s Executive Order.

Venues will begin outreach to couples with events during the first week of July to either hold their current dates or postpone. They will continue to go week-to-week with this pattern if the state extends its shelter in place order. Venues are doing their best to keep weddings being canceled by the shelter at home order to within six months of their original date. This is subject to change as we get additional clarification from state government.

In addition to having no firm date from state government about when all businesses can open, venues are working to coordinate with state officials on what protocols may be required. That could mean temperature checks for all employees before events, gloves, and masks for all employees, more socially distanced seating arrangements, and more.

“We are doing everything in our power to work with our couples and other celebrants to make sure that we can accommodate them on a new available date,” stated a group of venues in a joint statement. “We are continuing to work with couples who have had to postpone already – this included those originally scheduled for May and June – and are doing everything humanly possible to accommodate them.”

“For those who have planned events for later this summer and early autumn – including those in July, August, and September – we respectfully ask that you bear with us and give us time to accommodate everyone possible in a civil and orderly way,” they stated. “No one understands more than we do that couples want their day to be perfect. We share in that goal for you. But please understand that the COVID-19 crisis has wreaked havoc on small businesses throughout New Jersey – and we are no different. Yet, this also includes the hundreds of vendors with whom we work – from photographers/ videographers, florists, musical talent, and so much more.”

“If you are a couple in July, August, or September, please know that your venue is excited to continue to work with you. Together, we know we’ll make your wedding day the most special day of your lives,” they added.


The following venues joined together in releasing this statement:
Brooklake Country Club (Florham Park)
Crystal Plaza (Livingston)
Landmark Hospitality (Jersey City)
Liberty House (Jersey City)
Nanina’s In The Park (Belleville)
Neshanic Golf Course (Neshanic Station)
Park Chateau (East Brunswick)
Pines Manor (Edison)
Seasons Catering (Washington Township)
Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury (Shrewsbury)
The Boathouse at Mercer Lake (West Windsor)
The Brownstone (Paterson)
The Estate at Florentine Gardens (River Vale)
The Farmhouse (Hampton)
The Graycliff (Moonachie)
The Grove (Cedar Grove)
The Hudson House (Jersey City)
The Mansion at Mountain Lakes (Mountain Lakes)
The Merion (Cinnaminson)
The Park Savoy (Florham Park)
The Rockleigh (Rockleigh)
The Ryland Inn (Whitehouse Station)
The Stone House at Sterling Ridge (Warren)
The Venetian (Garfield)
The Wilshere Grand Hotel (West Orange)
Valley Regency (Clifton)

Quick lesson about autoimmune diseases.

It takes many years and even more doctors for person to get a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease... and a proper diagnosis frequently even harder and longer. It is a disease where instead of your white blood cells protecting your body from invaders, they turn around and attack your cells, tissues and organs. Just let it sink in a second: a disease with no cure that attacks the person that is carrying it. That person did nothing to catch it. And let me say this right off the bat: you don’t catch an auto-immune disease from someone else. Auto=one=self

Chronic fatigue can be a symptom. Inability to gain weight can be a symptom. Inability to lose weight can be a symptom. Insomnia can be a symptom. Memory and speech loss can be a symptom. Chronic headaches can be a symptom. Loss of balance can be a symptom. Chronic all over pain can be a symptom.

It is not a cold or the flu... you will never get better, and even a nap will not help. Just eating a salad and hitting the gym won’t get the pounds off. Loads of eating often won’t put the weight on either. Sleeping for 12 hours (if you can actually sleep for more than 3 hours that is) doesn’t leave you well rested... ever. The last minute changes in plans because that “just got ran over” feeling never makes appointments... it just walks in whenever you aren’t ready. Painful joints & muscles, dry skin, breaking hair, hair loss, mood swings, anxiety and depression are just the tip of the iceberg. Most (if not all) autoimmune diseases have no cure. There are just medications that can be taken to assuage the symptoms. Many of us, including myself don’t like to take meds on a regular basis.

And another thing, just in case our lovely lucky lottery winning streak wasn’t enough, we are also prone to having multiple autoimmune diseases (typically come in pairs). We easily catch viral and bacterial infections. We have days where no matter how hard we try, we just can’t smile for anyone (my RBF has been on-point for years).

I urge you to think twice before passing judgment and thinking our nation is overreacting to the extra measures being taken, to curb the spread of this virus. Yes, frequently the media isn’t helpful. BUT, We live in the information age. Use the smart phone you have to actually make you smarter (instead of replacing your own brain) with new knowledge from trusted reliable sources about this viral epidemic and other illnesses (here’s a tip: look up various autoimmune diseases and disorders).

You might be able to recover with no problem. However, you can carry it to someone with an autoimmune disease like myself and that person won’t be as lucky. It can easily be a death sentence... and I am NOT just talking about the current viral outbreak.

If you have to leave your home, please practice social distancing... cover your mouth when sneezing and coughing. Wash your hands... wearing gloves out in public and reusing them only puts you more are risk because you are thinking you don’t have to wash your hands as often. Leave the gloves and masks for those who NEED them. A nationwide shortage of medical supplies to help combat this by those on the frontlines is appalling in this nation of ours.

As a professional makeup artist for the past 15+ years and someone who was a science major, I have listened to CDC protocols to keep myself and my clients safe all these years. I’ll tell you what... even I’m scared right now because people think that they are above this virus... they are getting sick and taxing the healthcare system in unprecedented ways. Goddess forbid I guess sick, I’m up a creek without a paddle at this point.

Stay safe everyone. Please be responsible and stay home and away from people (including in your own home) to help flatten the curve and mitigate the outcome of this global pandemic.

If you need to meet with clients, try virtual... Zoom, Skype, Facetime. There are many virtual options nowadays. Your client will understand your need to keep yourself, your family and them safe. If they don’t, then they are not your client.

This is not a drill... this is real life. You don’t get a do-over. You don’t get three lives. You don’t just restart the game.

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At this time 2 years ago, we were celebrating your 35th birthday half a worlds’ apart... me here in Jersey and you in Dubai.

You had been so incredibly excited for this trip and you had vowed to make every moment count in the trip and thereafter... and you did as such. Never missing a moment to enrich your own life and those around you.

Who would have known that as life changing as your 35th birthday was to you, that you would be clinging to life a month later?

Today you would have been celebrating your 37th birthday and I’m sure you would have had some incredible experience planned that would also have been life altering.

I miss you every day... and every day I find myself a different kind of numb to the world. Today is your 2nd birthday in heaven and I know that you are enriching heaven with your heart, your mind, your positivity and your hugs.

Love you to the moon and back baby... Happy Birthday Brian ❤️ Now cake 😇