There's obviously not much I can tell you about the coronavirus that you can't already get from reputable news outlets.

I will tell you how it's affecting the entertainment industry, which I am a part of in the San Francisco Bay Area: It's devastating. I personally have had months' worth of bookings canceled or postponed (weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and my own public shows). And all of my friends in magic are experiencing the same thing. And that's just one slice of the industry. DJs, caterers, florists, photographers, wedding planners... everybody is hurting. The recently passed stimulus package should help, but not enough.

If you have a wedding scheduled in April or May, I really empathize with you. All those dreams and plans, up in the air. It really sucks.

This blog is about helping you be chill about your wedding because that's how I like to approach life. So that's how I'm trying to approach the coronavirus crisis. I'm focusing on my  health and my family's health. I'm hanging out at home, working on my business. And I'm preparing myself for when this is all over and life can go back to normal.

I have to admit I've let my worries get to me sometimes, and it has affected my sleep. But I know that's one of the worst things I can do because good sleep is scientifically proven to helps boost the immune system.  We all need good sleep if we're going to beat this virus.

What would I do if I had a wedding coming up that hasn't already been postponed? I would do this: Figure out what is the last possible date when I need to announce a postponement, then not worry about things until then.

In other words, if my wedding were scheduled for May 30, I would probably wait until April 30 to decide whether to postpone. And then between now and April 30, I would just focus on important things OTHER than my wedding. I would try hard not to wake up every day worrying about whether or not to postpone the wedding.

But that's just me. Since you're reading this blog, you're probably in some stage of wedding planning. How are you handling the crisis? Send me an email to david@bayareaweddingmagician.com.

Stay safe and healthy!

The night before your wedding, you're probably not going to get much sleep. You may be too excited to relax as you imagine your perfect day.

But what about the previous 5-7 nights? Those are nights when you should be doing as much as you can to get good sleep. You don't want to start your marriage off completely sleep-deprived!

Here are some scientifically proven tips for getting quality sleep that you should try the week before your wedding (if not all the time):

• Decide on a bedtime at least 7 hours before you need to wake up — and stick to it. Get everyone you live with to support you in this... meaning make sure they turn off lights and loud noises.
• Put your devices to sleep an hour before bedtime.  No social media, no email, nothing that's going to distract you from your purpose, which is to get good sleep.
• Cool down your room. Body temperature naturally tends to drop at night. So a cool, cave-like setting can signal to your body that it’s time for sleep. 
• Perform a mindfulness exercise just before bed to get you in a relaxing mood. See my previous post for more info.

This is the hardest thing of all: When you close your eyes, avoid thoughts about all the little details you need to work out for the wedding. Save those for the morning!

Getting as much quality sleep as possible will help set you up for the chill wedding day you want, I promise.