Many couples have had to make the difficult decision to postpone their wedding this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the CDC has recommended that people practice social distancing and limit group gatherings, which means that throwing a wedding is currently not recommended. It’s tough to have to cancel an event in order to keep your loved ones and community safer, and having to postpone your wedding can certainly make this stressful year feel even more stressful. However, if you’re about to start the rescheduling process, try to just take it one step at a time. If you’re not sure where to begin or what steps you need to take, we’re here to help. Below, we’re going over all the major things you need to do when you have to postpone your wedding due to COVID-19.
Notify Your Vendors Promptly
One of the first things you should do after deciding to postpone your wedding is get in touch with your wedding vendors and your venue. A lot of people are postponing their weddings right now, so your vendors and venue will surely be understanding of your decision. When you contact your vendors to postpone, tell them about your cancellation and ask them about the next steps you should take to reschedule with them. Note that because so many people are cancelling events due to these unprecedented times, your vendors may be dealing with a heavy influx of calls and emails at the moment. Remember to be patient and stay mindful of the fact that this is also a very challenging time for your vendors.
Review Your Wedding Insurance Policy
If you got wedding insurance in advance of your nuptials, now’s the time to pull your policy out and take a look at your coverage options. Unfortunately, things like a pandemic are sometimes not covered by wedding insurance. However, it could be covered by yours, so it’s critical that you double check your policy and/or reach out to your insurance agent. If you do have coverage at this time, it could be a big help as you deal with the unexpected expenses associated with postponing your wedding.
Decide How You’ll Notify Your Guests of Your Postponement & Date Change
It’s good etiquette to notify your guests promptly if you have to reschedule an event (especially if they’re planning on traveling to attend). As soon as you know you’ll be postponing your wedding, you should start making a communication plan to inform your wedding guests of the changes. Sending an email and/or posting information on your wedding website is an easy and effective way to let your guests know that you’ll be moving your original wedding date to a later date. You can also split up your guest list between you, your partner, and any close friends or family members who are willing to lend a hand and make phone calls instead.
Try to Be Flexible on Your New Date When Rescheduling
Since so many people are postponing their 2020 weddings because of the coronavirus, vendors and venues are going to have far more booking requests for late 2020 and all of 2021. As you work with your vendors to reschedule your wedding, consider how flexible you can be with your new date. Would you be willing to move your wedding to a Friday, a Sunday, or perhaps a weekday if that will help you have your wedding in a timeframe you want? Or, would you be happy to have your wedding further out because you want a Saturday wedding? If you can be flexible, it may make rescheduling for a future date much easier, so consider whether or not you’d be open to picking another day of the week for your big day.
Feel Your Feelings
It’s completely normal to feel sad or disappointed if you have to cancel your wedding day for any reason, including when you have to move it due to a pandemic. Your wedding day is an incredibly important milestone in your life and it’s something you were surely very excited for. Though there are bigger issues in the world at the moment, it’s still okay to feel upset about having your wedding’s postponement. It’s also important to acknowledge your feelings and accept them as valid. By working through your feelings now, you can move forward in a healthy way and start looking forward to your new wedding date.
Make a Point to Celebrate on Your Original Wedding Date
To close out our post, we have a suggestion: do something special when your original wedding date rolls around. While your original date may no longer be the day you thought it would be, it’s still a significant date. Do a little something to celebrate, like having a nice meal together as a couple or having a Zoom cocktail hour with your loved ones. By marking the occasion, you can make sure that your original wedding date is still one to remember.