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Wedding Postponement Guide

Click here for our Wedding Postponement Spreadsheet.

Covid-19 has taken us all by surprise, but we know this is especially true for all the Spring brides. If you’re reading this, you are likely already planning to postpone or have already made the decision to do so. First of all, let me say I am so VERY SORRY! As a wedding planner, I know just how much work and detail you’ve put into your special day.

One piece of good news - we are here to assist you in this crazy process!

If you are postponing or considering it, we suggest you follow this to do list! By the way, the order does matter. We are starting big picture and then working through the smaller details.

  1. Make the decision to either postpone or keep the same day (with a much smaller crowd and potential government guidelines). - Most are opting to postpone so everyone can join the festivities, but there are many who are ready to begin married life. If so, a great alternative is to hold a reception at a later date.

  2. Contact your planner if you have one. - Your planner knows the business and can assist in making these decisions and changes. If you don't have a planner, it's not too late to get one. Most planners offer partial or month of options, and they can help eliminate some stress as you shift plans

  3. Consider new dates. - This is of course tricky because people aren’t sure when the guidelines will change. I suggest coming up with 3 potential dates and see which date fits best with the most vendors. The trend I’m currently seeing is to reschedule for the late Summer or Fall. (Hint - The Fall is an extremely busy time for weddings, so you may have better luck with your vendors if you consider late summer.)

  4. Contact your vendors. - This is the BIG one that will take some time! It will be best to keep your vendor team together if at all possible. After all, you’ve hired them for a reason. Start with your venue because if they say no to your new date options, you’ll need to go back to the drawing board. To assist in this process, we’ve created a Wedding Postponement Spreadsheet. It gives you a way to organize all the information you need to collect from each vendor.

  • What is the vendor’s cancellation/postponement policy?

  • How much will it cost to cancel all together or change the date?

  • Is the vendor available for any of my 3 new dates?

5. Notify your guests. - The most formal way to do this is through an announcement. Given the current circumstances, these are easy to find online. (Check out Minted’s options!) If you already know your new date, you can include it on this card so people know to save the date. Option 2 is to send the information out electronically (social media, text, email).Don’t forget to update your wedding website if you have one and direct your guests to it!

6. New Invitations - Once you’ve determined your new date, you’ll want to consider sending new invitations to ensure all of your guests have the correct information. If you put the new information on your postponement announcement, the invitation can be optional depending on the formality of your wedding. However, if you didn’t have that information when you postponed, I would suggest sending a new invitation. It can be simpler than the original in order to save money if you’d like!

7. Consider the details. - Now that you’ve taken care of the major requirements, take a moment to consider your new wedding vision. Everything may stay completely as planned, or you may want to consider a different look for a different season. Here are a few “vision” elements to think about!

  • Floral - colors and types of flowers for a different season

  • Signs - If you’ve ordered any signs with the date, make sure to update these. (Hint - Don’t buy all new signs! There are lots of people who can change just the date on the sign)

  • Linen colors - perhaps switch from a light Spring color to a warm Fall color

  • Use of candles or lighting - Depending on the time of year, you will have different outside lighting. Candles can be a nice touch!

We know this is a stressful time, but remember we are all in this together! The vendors I’ve worked with have been overly accommodating and understanding. Hopefully you will have a similar experience. We wish you the VERY BEST :) Stay safe!

Additional sources to help as you navigate this process:

- https://www.theknot.com/content/postpone-wedding-guidelines

- https://www.syracuse.com/coronavirus/2020/03/postponing-rescheduling-

- https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/17/no-gatherings-over-50-people-cdc-says-heres-what-couples-are-doing-with-their-wedding-plans/

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