The Sherwood couple spent the past four months planning their March 22 wedding. As is the case in such matters, nothing had been left to chance.

Invitations had been sent to 175 people. Checks were cut to rent a Portland ballroom, pay for food and drink, and hire a DJ, makeup artist and photographer.

And then came COVID-19.

On Monday, the coronavirus outbreak made them decide to get married that evening. In a ceremony in front of just family and a few friends, Dan and Allison Keese were married in the living room of her parents’ Tigard home.

The ceremony was officiated by his sister, who went online to get ordained as a minister. His “best man” was his other sister, standing in for his friend in Washington D.C.

“It was crazy town,” said Allison Keese, 35.

The couple had thought about rescheduling, but feared officials in the coming weeks would mandate an order to shelter in place and no one would be able to show up.

“I felt like it was World War II and I’d just received orders to ship out,” said Dan Keese, 34.

The couple toasted each other with bottles of Corona beer because they changed their wedding plans because of the cornoavirus.Jay Eads

Even though the couple canceled everything, they said they have not asked for refunds from the businesses they’d already paid.

He said he and his wife plan on a big “post pandemic” party, most likely in September.

“We are aware that people’s livelihood is imperiled right now,” said Dan Keese. “We decided the best thing to do was let everyone keep the money we paid.”

In the past week, that’s not typically been the case in the floral industry, as small businesses and gig and hourly workers face the economic impact of the coronavirus.

“The wedding cancellations are rolling in, and if people have paid, they want refunds,” said Michelle Headrick, owner and lead designer at Portland’s Image Floral and Event Design.

Restrictions on the number of people who can gather in Oregon and Washington have also caused corporate parties, church services and funerals – all events that call for flowers – to be canceled.

“There’s a bit of panic in the industry right now,” she said. “This is a huge hit.”

Jeri Barr, owner of Bella Bloom Florals in Sherwood, said she makes 75 percent of her yearly income during June, July and August.

“A chunk of that is now gone,” said Barr.

All her corporate accounts – events, fundraisers, wineries, nursing homes – have canceled orders, she said. Every wedding client has either canceled an upcoming wedding or said they would reschedule.

“I’m no economist,” said Barr, “but I’m sure going forward those weddings are going to cut back on buying flowers.”

Michelle Headrick is owner and lead designer at Portland’s Image Floral and Event Design.

Barr, in business for 10 years and working out of her home, opened a commercial space last year, meaning she is dealing with a loss of business as well as rent and other overhead. In the past few days she has told freelance floral designers she has used in the past she has no business for them.

“I had planned for a slow year,” Barr said. “But nothing like this. I squirreled money away, but I am wiping out savings. For those who don’t have a nest egg, it’s scary.”

Linda DePersis, owner of Clatskanie Floral LLC, grows flowers to sell to vendors. She said her tulips and daffodils are “coming up by the thousands."

“I will bring them to the Portland markets and hope florists buy them and use them in arrangements,” she said. “If they don’t buy them, I will donate them to the community and to nursing homes. The rest I will have to trash."

“I have some weddings scheduled for later in the summer,” she said. “I can see there will be a financial loss. I’m trying to keep a calm head. The big picture is that everyone is healthy, and the spread of the virus is stopped.”

Headrick said retail florists are also feeling the impact.

“Even though locally sourced materials are the trend, the majority of florists still working from products from another state or country,” she said.

“They all come on planes,” she said. “Embargoes and what’s happening to the airline industry is having an impact in terms of price and availability.”

Going forward, those in the industry are going to be grappling with issues both financial and emotional, said Headrick.

“Will people refund money paid or hold a client to the contract?” she asked.

“Some of it comes to the humanity of what we do. We deal with people in celebrations of life,” she said. “Do we do the right thing by the person or do the right thing for our family and our business? It will fall somewhere in between those two extremes.”

-- Tom Hallman Jr; thallman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8224; @thallmanjr

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