In the blink of an eye, everything we have become accustomed to has changed. Like many others in this industry, I am committed to staying educated and deciding the best and safest way to postpone and rearrange my clients’ wedding celebrations. I empathize fully for those of you who are faced with the decision of postponing or have already postponed your wedding. I think I speak for everyone in this industry when I say we are here to support you as you navigate through this uncharted territory. The uncertainty that surrounds this pandemic is scary but one thing that we can be sure of is that whenever or however you decide to celebrate your wedding — it will be magical.
All that being said, I want to create a resource for any couple that may need assistance in navigating wedding planning amidst coronavirus. We hope that this serves to guide you as you make some big decisions in the weeks and months ahead.
SHOULD YOU HAVE A BACKUP PLAN?
If your wedding looks like it’ll be affected by COVID-19, be proactive and reach out to your wedding planner (if you have one). Come up with an alternate plans by contacting your wedding venues and discussing alternate dates. After finding potential dates that could work, reach out to your vendor team to discuss plan B,plan C, etc. Make sure you a conversation with your families about what postponement will look like.
SHOULD YOU CONTACT YOUR VENUE?
Since there are so many uncertainties within the current climate, I would recommend that any couple with a wedding scheduled prior to June 2020 reach out to their wedding venues to discuss date change policies and flexibility. Depending on the venues, your options for 2020 may be limited. Keep in mind that if you are open to either Friday or Sunday weddings, you will have more options to work with! Also remember that your wedding venue is most likely swamped with requests and doing their best to accommodate couples. Please be patient and take comfort in knowing that they will help as soon as it’s possible.
SHOULD YOU CONTACT YOUR GUESTS?
If your wedding is going to be postponed, the easiest way to let your guests know is through your wedding website. Also consider sending an email to your guests, discussing the plan if a postponement were to take place.
WHAT IS A DECISION DATE?
While monitoring the situation is a great way to stay informed, it is incredibly important to remain practical. One way you can do this is by setting a “decision date.” This date is when you will make a decision about postponement and is another way to alleviate stress during this process.
MY WEDDING IS POSTPONED. DO I SEND OUT NEW INVITATIONS?
This decision is completely up to you. However, if you have already sent out printed invitations, you can send out digital postponement announcements by email to your guests in the interest of time and cost. You can work with your invitation designer to create a design consist with your current wedding invitation and color palette.
I WAS PLANNING A SUMMER WEDDING AND NOW IT’S IN A DIFFERENT SEASON. DO I NEED TO RE-DESIGN?
Your wedding vision does not need to change at all if you don’t want it to! If you want to have a summertime wedding in December then do just that. Be confident and unapologetic in your color choices and design. I would never suggest to completely re-design your wedding, things such as your bridal party outfits and invitations may already be set.
Are your wedding flowers seasonal and not available later in the year? Speak with your florist about flowers that look similar to your original selected blooms in order to create that look you had originally pictured.
On the flipside, if you did want to work around this one way would be to swap out some of your spring and summer flowers for more seasonal tones.
NOT ALL OUR VENDORS ARE AVAILABLE, WHAT NOW?
The goal is to keep your original vendor team together, however, that may not always be possible due to vendor schedules and weddings that are already booked. If the safest thing to do is postpone your wedding to a new date, do not fret because there many out-of-the-box solutions to consider.
One is working with your original photographer but choosing an associate photographer on their team to capture the day. If you do need to find a new vendor, then ask your planner (if you have one) if they know of anyone who has a similar style to the one you had selected.
I know this time can be overwhelming and stressful but please keep in mind the following things:
1. You are not tied to a date.
2. You are tied to each other in love and this will not change due to a pandemic.
3. Your wedding will be a magical and memorable affair regardless of when you celebrate.
Stay safe and well we’re in this with you.
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