Who would have guessed that while planning your 2020 wedding that you would need to account for a global pandemic?! Not me, but there is no need to panic. You totally got this! I am here to walk you through tips for rescheduling your 2020 wedding. Today’s blog post is directed towards couples who have had to completely change wedding dates. My next post will be directed towards couples who have later 2020 dates that have not had to reschedule, but are still finding difficulty in planning their wedding during this pandemic. Let’s get started!
My first tip for rescheduling is that if you think your wedding date is in danger, go ahead and reach out to your venue and see what other dates they have available. All of the venues that I have worked with so far have been very flexible and helpful when couples have had to reschedule. Once you see the availability of your venue, pick a few dates that work for you and begin to reach out to your vendors to see if they have any of those dates available. If you are wanting to reschedule to the Fall, I highly recommend that you talk to your vendors as soon as possible. A lot of brides are changing their Spring & Summer dates to the Fall, so wedding vendor availability is becoming slim.
Once you look at your available dates, talk to your vendors and choose an alternate date. Do not wait until the last minute to switch! First, you need to give your guests some time to change their plans around your wedding. If you have a lot of friends and family traveling in, then it is better to let them know sooner rather than later. Also, since your vendors are working with several different clients who are having to reschedule, it is very helpful for them to know if they need to reserve a date in the future for you or not. Most importantly, it’s also necessary for you as the bride and groom to take time to process the new wedding plan changes. Some are not as affected by it as others, but it is still important to process the emotions that come with the changes. By not waiting until the last minute, you are able to lessen the chaos of this crazy time.
There are also several other important factors to consider when thinking about rescheduling in addition to if there is a stay at home mandate in place. First, remember that we have no idea what life will look like after everything starts opening back up and people are allowed to gather. Your guests may be hesitate to travel and some guests with compromised immune systems may still be in danger. There is a possibility of people still being fearful about larger gatherings. Because of this, some of your guests may choose not to attend your wedding. Additionally, if your wedding is right after a mandate has been lifted, the whole vibe of your wedding could feel different. You don’t want the focus of your wedding day to be the virus, you want it to be a celebration of you and your fiancé. Again, no one can predict how life will be in the future, but it will take some time to be completely back to normal. If you do not care if all your guests are not able to attend and you just want to do whatever it takes to get married, then this may not affect you and you may want to continue with your date. On the other hand, if you really care about having all of your friends and family there, the overall vibe of your wedding, and you still want it to be “perfectly normal” then I would consider switching your date.
After considering all your options, if you choose to reschedule your date then the next step is getting the word out to your guests. If you decide to postpone, but do not anticipate knowing your new date for a while, then I recommend sending out a postponement announcement to go ahead and let your guest know. This can be a virtual announcement or a physical announcement sent via mail. Claire from White Ink Calligraphy has created some beautiful postponement announcements that I recommend. It’s likely that if you are having to send out a postponement announcement you have already purchased and sent out save the dates or invitations. White Ink Calligraphy has kept all of this in mind and is keeping the cost to range from $2.50-$3.00 per card. You can also customize your design! They are available to be printed or sent via email to your guests. Take a look below at some examples from White Ink Calligraphy!
Once you have officially rescheduled your date, I recommend spending some quality time with your fiancé to take in the change. Again, for some couples this is more emotional than others. It is likely that the change of date has caused some stress, so take some time to invest in one another and support each other through it. Remember, a beautiful marriage is more important than a beautiful wedding. Date nights look a little different right now, but it can be as simple as having a distraction free night cooking dinner and watching a movie together. Focus on how amazing the wedding is going to be and that you get to be with your person forever instead of focusing on the negative emotions related to having to change your plans.
I have also had other couples who have decided to go ahead and elope and reschedule their reception with all of their friends and family.
This is definitely an option as well. I am currently offering a new package called “Just The Details” that is an hour and a half phone call where I will help talk through mapping out your new wedding plans. I will help you recreate a timeline, determine logistics, recommend vendors, and answer any questions you have! If you are already one of my clients, then you know I’m already walking alongside of you and making the best of this situation. Also, if you decide you need a full/partial planner or coordinator to help walk you through everything in a greater depth, I’d love to make you feel like a guest on your wedding day. If you are interested in either package fill out this form here.
xoxo,
Annie Elizabeth
