Safe to make non-refundable payments for 2021?

[Summerflowers79]

Do you think it would be foolish to make non-refundable payments for my wedding June 2021? This was always my date but I haven’t finished booking all the suppliers. It’s a midweek wedding abroad. I want to book my catering but they have advised I would not be able to transfer payments made to 2022 in the event of a second wave. I have wedding insurance but they don’t pay out for government mandated lock downs.

I am stuck between not knowing whether to confirm suppliers via payments or risk waiting and if all is ok, not having suppliers available due to 2020 reschedules as well as 2021 weddings.

[Lemonyfuckit]

That's a tricky one OP, I feel your dilemma - ours is Sept 2021 and we have made quite a lot of non-refundable payments but deposits only, so not enormous payments. Also we were thinking similarly in terms of suppliers getting booked up earlier than normal for next year due to all the weddings having to be rescheduled from this year. Is it a deposit only you have to pay soon, and is it quite hefty?

[Summerflowers79]

It’s 500 euros for the deposit and then a second hefty payment in Feb 2021, both of which would be non-refundable and non-transferable :-(
Such a dilemma I would not be worried if my insurance was actually valid! Just unbelievable

[GeriGeranium]

That’s a tough situation.

I’d be inclined to pay the 500 euros now and wait and see how things are in February before deciding on the further payment? Are you sure that the 500 euros is all you’d lose? You wouldn’t still be obliged to pay the rest?

Reality is we may still be getting second, third, fourth waves and intermittent lockdowns for a few years, so it’s hard to plan anything.

[CrazyCatLover]

I’m going through hell and back right now trying to claw back some money back from my Coronavirus cancelled wedding. I’d seriously advise against making these payments right now and monitor the situation for a bit longer . There will always be suppliers around x