By Lydia Mattern
You’ve heard of hiring a wedding planner to help coordinate all the details of your special day. But in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, wedding planners are being called in for a purpose none of us saw coming: to postpone your wedding due to the coronavirus.
With some states like Ohio planning to allow wedding ceremonies to recommence soon, you may be wondering, should I postpone my wedding in 2020? While the date of your wedding and state and federal guidelines will help you determine if you should reschedule, it does seem like states are going to start allowing traditional weddings soon!
At Epic Thyme--an established Northern California wedding planning company--we know this can be an overwhelming time. Trying to navigate the details of having a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic does not make it any easier. If you choose to make the tough decision to postpone your wedding, here’s what you need to do:
Contact Your Vendors
The first thing you’ll need to do when deciding to postpone your wedding is to contact all of your vendors and let them know your decision as soon as possible. If you are using a wedding planner, contact them first. They will be able to help you get in touch with your vendors and communicate this change quickly.
It’s important to remember that just as you are dealing with the disappointment of a canceled wedding due to COVID-19, vendors are having to navigate the effects of a lot of canceled business. So, let’s all be as kind and patient as possible during this time.
| Inform Your Guests
Once it is solidified that your wedding is postponed, let all your guests know right away. Whether you decide to send out an official postponement letter or email, make individual calls, or use your wedding website to inform everyone at once, it is important to communicate this change in time for people to adjust their plans.
Consider creating an FAQ page on your wedding website to keep your guests in the loop on what’s going on. They will be eager to know how you are doing and when they can expect to see you walk down the aisle.
Save Money Where You Can
By choosing to postpone your wedding rather than canceling it altogether, you will likely be able to save money, as vendors will be more willing to work with you when a future wedding date is on the horizon.
Nobody wants to lose money, and vendors understand this--they want to keep your business as much as you want to keep theirs. With effective communication, you can find a way to make this change of plans a win-win for everyone.
Be Flexible
This is new territory for the wedding business, so your wedding planner, vendors, and guests are all having to figure out the best way to keep everyone happy while dealing with the loss of income and ever-changing plans. It is important to be flexible.
Your wedding day can still be everything you’ve dreamt it would be, just at a future date. And once all the details are figured out, a new date is chosen, and your guests start to RSVP for your rescheduled wedding, all of this will be in the past. It may take a little while to get to that point, but it will come. So try to be flexible during this time, and let’s work together to figure out the best ways to move forward.
Feel All the Feelings
With that said, feel all the feelings. The wedding day that you’ve been dreaming of since you were a little, planning for over a year, and waiting for in anticipation got postponed! Yes, you have the right to have a moment or two to shed some tears, let out some frustration, and feel all the feelings.
While there are definitely people experiencing worse effects of COVID-19, it is ok to express your emotions. Talk to a close friend or process your disappointment with your fiancé who understands what you are going through.
Remember Your 2020 Wedding Date
And celebrate it! Your original wedding date will always hold a special place in your heart. Whether with a simple champagne toast with your fiancé or a small get-together with family, find a way to make the day special.
Reschedule Your Wedding
And finally… reschedule your wedding! Back to the exciting stuff, right? While it may not feel like it at the moment, you will get married to the love of your life and it will be wonderful. So, now you have to ask yourself, when will that be?
Taking your state’s local COVID-19 guidelines into consideration--as well as the health and safety of your friends and family--you’ll want to choose a new wedding date. Maybe your 2020 wedding is going to be a 2021 wedding now. Whatever the case, set the date.
Then, call your wedding planner. Let them take the pressure and stress off you by calling your wedding venue, band, caterer, and all the other vendors to discuss this new date and get it on their books, making any necessary adjustments along the way. The sooner you choose a new wedding date, the more likely it is going to work for everyone involved in your wedding.
Epic Thyme Is Here to Help With Your Wedding Planning Needs
If you have to postpone your wedding due to the coronavirus, you are not alone. Couples around the world have had to hang up their wedding dresses and put away their suits while they patiently wait for it to be safe to get married in front of their friends and family.
It can be disappointing to postpone your wedding due to COVID-19, but Epic Thyme is here to help you navigate all the details and ensure your wedding day is perfect when the time comes. Contact us today to learn more about our wedding planning services.