Navigating Pandemic Wedding Postponement

To postpone or not to postpone?
     With so much information and guidelines changing so quickly, this seems to be the biggest wedding question during the global pandemic: do we postpone?  At this uncharted time in wedding planning history,  there are not any real rules or guidelines to follow to make the process easier, because never before in our history have we experienced anything like this. So, what does a couple do?! Don’t be discouraged, this might seem like a wedding-stopper, but there are several options you can choose from to still have your special day! 

If you decide to proceed as planned
    Depending on the date of your wedding and the state in which your wedding is held, you may be able to continue with your original plans as-is.  Here are a few things to consider if that is your scenario:

• Be cognizant of recovery timelines. If your wedding is planned in the next few months during your state's recovery period, you may not be able to host a gathering with more than 5,10, or 50 people. If you were planning a large gathering, this may cause you to consider postponing until a later stage of recovery when larger gatherings are permitted. Be sure to contact anyone who has a part in your day- wedding planner, caterer, venue, photographer, DJ, florist, etc. Some vendors may have changes to ensure their safety  and you want to be sure that you are all on the same page before deciding to move forward. 

 

• Be  realistic about how the recovery period will change the atmosphere of your event.  Depending on local state guidelines, you may be able to gather with your original guest list, however that gathering might have a different atmosphere.  Consider the changes you’ll have to make with seating arrangements,  cocktail hour, and even how you serve a meal- you might have to get a bit creative!  If you haven’t already done so, schedule a meeting with your venue and caterer to see what they suggest to help you navigate the necessary changes to ensure safety for all.   

 

• Be reasonable with your guest’s hesitation. Although the friends and family on your guest list love you dearly, some of them will make the hard choice not to attend your wedding at this time due to keeping themselves/other at-risk family safe.  It’s important not to necessarily take that decision personally, even though it might seem that way.  Your friends can still be happy for you and chose not to attend.  To prevent them from missing the event entirely, consider live recording options to share so they still feel included in your celebration. 

If you decide to postpone
    Deciding to postpone your long awaited wedding is a difficult decision that no one should be forced to make, yet this has become the informal trend of the 2020 season. Hopefully you have a wedding coordinator help you with postponement, because it certainly can be a daunting feat to complete on your own. Here are a few suggestions we have to start the postponement process: 

• Review your contracts! At this point, we hope you have thoroughly read through your contracts, but if you haven’t- now is definitely the time!  This is important because you read exactly what they state regarding cancellations or postponements. If you have hired a wedding coordinator, they will be able to help you understand your contracts and even speak to your vendors on your behalf. This would also be a good time to obtain an updated contract with each vendor to secure your new date and ensure you understand their policies or procedures that may now be in place due to the pandemic. 

 

• Give your vendors a bit of grace and courtesy. Although we understand this is an extremely stressful time for you and your family, please try to be cognizant that this pandemic is earth-shattering for your vendors as well!  Although they are typically the ones keeping everything under control, they are dealing with situations they have no control over whatsoever, so it would help to be understanding and flexible in this moment and realize that they may take a few extra days than promised to return your emails or phone calls.

  

• Contact your guests. If you have already sent out invitations or save the dates, you will also need to contact your guests. If you haven't finalized details for your new wedding date that is okay- just be sure to keep your guests informed as decisions are finalized. If you have a wedding website, this is the perfect chance to use it as a communication tool instead of having to contact guests individually. Of course, if you would like to call guests, too, that certainly gives a personal touch to the update.  There is no right or wrong way to go about this, so give yourself grace during this time and do what best suits your budget and needs. Which leads us to our next point….

 

• Consider your resilience. As a couple, you both have made a decision to postpone one of the most important days of your lives-  please take a moment to realize that you have made an extremely hard decision, during an extremely difficult time in our world, and you should certainly give yourself some props for doing so! Cheers to making decisions as a power couple- even if the circumstances were out of your control.   

No matter what path you choose to take, allow yourself to feel any and all emotions during this time. Your feelings of excitement, disappointment, frustration, stress, and anticipation are all valid!  Although your wedding day may not be what you envisioned at the moment, this is still a special day! Be sure to celebrate yourselves and enjoy the moment no matter how it unfolds! 

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