As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread throughout the world, you may be deciding to postpone your wedding. Firstly, I am so sorry that you’ve been affected this way. If you are having to postpone your wedding, I’m here to help. In this blog, I’m sharing my helpful tips for navigating the decision to postpone your wedding, including how to communicate with vendors and share the update with your guests.
Due to the effects of coronavirus, Wattleseed Collective recommends you adhere to all regulations and guidelines put in place by local and national governments. Wattleseed Collective strongly encourages everyone to make decisions about events and travel that are in the interest of their personal and the public’s health and wellbeing.
It’s okay to feel emotional about postponing your wedding date
I have spoken with couples and friends who have found themselves in this situation, and the first thing I tell them is, “It’s okay to feel the way that you’re feeling.” Whether that emotion is sadness, disappointment, confusion, anger or even grief, your emotions are real and valid. No one could have anticipated a viral infection affecting your wedding and causing it to be postponed. So, if no one has told you yet, it’s okay to feel the way that you’re feeling about postponing your wedding.
Should you postpone or cancel your wedding? What you need to know before cancelling!
As a wedding vendor, I highly suggest postponing your wedding rather than cancelling. Most deposits that you’ve paid towards wedding vendors can be moved throughout the year, but they can’t be returned if you cancel. Make sure to look thoroughly at your vendors’ contracts. Since the effects of coronavirus are so unpredictable, vendors may be willing to work with you. My biggest piece of advice would be to have a game plan prior to reaching out to your vendors. Know if you’re going to postpone or cancel your wedding day so your vendors can help you to the best of their ability.
Reach out to your vendors about the postponed wedding
If your vendors haven’t reached out to you yet, you should contact them! When reaching out to your vendors, my top tips are:
Be sure you’ve read through their contract and understand their rescheduling policy
Expect an additional fee for rescheduling (some vendors may waive the fee)
Decide on some alternative wedding dates with your partner
Ask the vendor if they have availability for the postponed date options
Prepare to be flexible
Here’s an example of what you can use to reach out to your vendors:
[your partner’s name] and I have been working hard to make the best decision about our upcoming wedding. We want to make the decision that is best for us, our guests and our vendors.
So, we’ve decided to postpone our wedding day. After reviewing your contract, I understand your rescheduling policy is [summarize their rescheduling policy]. Due to the effects of the coronavirus, do you have any flexibility on that?
We’d love to discuss possible dates for rescheduling our postponed wedding day. The specific dates we have as options are [list a couple of options of dates that could work for you and your partner]. Do you have availability for any of these dates?
Let your guests know you have decided to postpone the wedding
This will likely be a difficult step to do when postponing your wedding. Just remember, the people you’ve invited to your wedding love you and your partner! So, they really do want what is best for you both. Here are some of my tips to help you communicate your postponed wedding plans to your guests:
Catch them up on your process. Let them know that you’ve been staying up-to-date with the coronavirus and that you’ve been wanting to make a decision that is the best for everyone involved.
Clearly communicate your decision. You do not need to be ashamed or worried about what people will think. Communicate that you’ve chosen to postpone your wedding.
Tell the details that you are sure of, and leave out the details that you don’t know yet. If you are sure you’re postponing your wedding, but you don’t know when it’s going to be rescheduled, don’t give your guests the potential new dates. Just communicate what you know for sure, and tell your guests that you will continue to keep them informed.
Tell them what you and your partner need! Let me tell you, the power of vulnerability can go a long way. If the two of you need encouragement, tell people! If you’re needing some advice for where to go for your honeymoon that’s domestic, ask! Maybe you just need someone to FaceTime you and tell you is going to be okay; reach out to someone. Your bridal party and guests are there to help you, even if your wedding date has to be postponed.
What to do now that your wedding is postponed
Truly, I am so sorry you’ve been affected by coronavirus this way. I want to be helpful in every way I can be, so I do want to mention an option that is available to you now that you’re wedding is postponed. If you are set on your timeline and wedding day, you could consider eloping and having a reception after the social distancing restrictions have been lifted!
I know you may be thinking, “Could we actually elope?” If you have questions or need guidance for your new elopement plans, I’m here to help! So, reach out to me, I’ve been helping other couples plan their elopement and have some fresh ideas.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog about postponing your wedding, and I hope you found it helpful in this difficult time
We’re all in this together.
