Having to postpone your spring wedding due to the COVID-19 virus? Here are some tips to help you get through this difficult time and make this as stress-free as possible!
You’ve been planning your destination wedding for months and have thought of every last detail. Flights are booked, rooms are reserved, RSVPs entered, and all details are planned out. The last thing any of us thought about was a global pandemic rearranging plans—and so suddenly!
As experienced planners in the wedding industry, we’ve got a few tips and tricks to help you get through this time. While right now planning or postponing a wedding might seem impossible, we assure you that it’s not.
So, take a deep breath (and maybe grab a glass of wine) and get ready to take some notes!
Photo Credit: Blue Bend Photography
Talk Openly with Your Vendors
The first step in postponing your wedding is to reach out to your vendors and have an honest conversation with them.
Secure a Back-Up Date with Your Venue
The very first thing you need to work on is contacting your venue in order to secure a back-up date. Most venues are willing to work with their couples and will offer you a date within the calendar year.
Ask about your deposit: Will it carry over to the new date?
Again, most venues are working hard, just like every other event industry vendor, so be patient as they work on responding to your email with potential date options. Keep in mind that the list of available dates will change quickly as other couples are also working on postponing their wedding.
Coordinate Your New Date with Your Other Vendors
Once your venue offers up a few potential dates, reach out to other vendors and see which dates work for them. There are a few vendors who are able to do a limited number of weddings in one day, and these will be the first to book up. These vendors include caterers, photographers, DJs/bands, videographers, and musicians.
Do the same as you did with your venue. Reach out to them with the back-up dates you were given and ask them about their rescheduling policy.
Again, it’s important to remain patient!
If you are finding that not all of your vendors are available for a specific date, fear not. Reach out to your vendors and ask them if they are able to recommend any other companies that are available for your wedding date.
Photo Credit: Ashley Schulze Photography
Get Creative with These Possible Vendor Solutions
Some vendors may not be available to offer the original service you wanted because they are either already booked up. If you are set on a particular vendor, here are some ways you can get creative and find an alternative solution.
Caterers
Ask if they offer pick-up service. If they do, perhaps they can take off the staffing costs from their original proposal sent to you and you can hire an out-of-house staffing company to work your wedding day instead. This allows you to keep your original menu while still being able to find a way for guests to enjoy the dinner you had envisioned.
Rental Companies
Ask if they offer pick-up service as well. Of course, things like tents and lighting may be impossible to install yourself, but china, flatware, glassware, etc. could potentially be picked up by a friend or family member and returned the next business day. You may be signing some liability waivers, but if it means having dinner forks and plates at your wedding, it may be worth the risk. Try working with your venue and rental companies to see if they are able to drop off/install items on a different day.
Photographer/Videographer
This is a tough one for most couples. Ask your photographer if they have an assistant or coworker that may be able to shoot your wedding while they still edit and deliver your gallery! Although you may miss out on the experience of having your dream photographer at your wedding, by editing your pictures they are still able to be a part of your wedding and you are delivered the specific style of photos you were looking for and hired them for.
Cake Artists + Bakers
Ask if they offer pick-up services and if you are able to return their stands after your wedding day. Most bakers are able to deliver to multiple locations in one day, but if they are unable, this may be a good alternative. If the desserts are something that can sit well overnight, inquire about possibly picking up or delivering the desserts the day prior to your wedding day.
Musicians/DJs/Bands
While these vendors may not be able to provide an alternate professional from their company, they may be able to provide you with recommendations for other vendors in the area offering a similar quality of service. If your heart is set on having a specific musician for your ceremony, consider readjusting your ceremony time if that helps a musician reschedule your event. One way to rearrange the day could be to have a pre-ceremony cocktail hour instead of post. This gives you an extra hour of buffer time if you’re looking to make things work with your favorite cellist and violinist!
Photo Credit: John Branch IV Photography
Why Some Vendor Deposits Might Not Be Refundable
As you move through this process, remember most of your vendors are small businesses and COVID-19 significantly impacts them and their families as well. While most vendors are offering as much flexibility as possible in rescheduling of dates, they most likely will not be able to refund deposits if you opt to cancel instead of reschedule.
You might be thinking, “But that’s ridiculous! They haven’t given me anything yet!” Let us explain why.
For some vendors, your deposit payment is used for pre-event planning and work. Most likely they are paying employees to work on planning out the details for your event months in advance. Often, the services they have provided and the work they have done far exceeds the deposit payment originally made. It is a difficult situation, but we hope that helps you understand why some deposits may be non-refundable.
Inform Your Guests
Once you have your back-up date secured with your venue and vendors, you need to start working on informing your guests and rearranging guest accommodations. This is especially important for any couples planning a destination wedding.
Reach Out to Hotels
As soon as your back-up date is secured, reach out to any hotels where you may have booked room blocks for your guests and ask about accommodating your new wedding date. A lot of travel and hospitality industries are also facing difficult times and will be willing to work with you to help rearrange accommodations for your out-of-town guests.
Contact Transportation Services
If you have any transportation arrangements set up for your wedding, be sure to contact them as well and see if they are available to rebook.
Send a “Change the Date” Card or Email
Once you have confirmed your vendors and have rearranged any transportation and lodging accommodations, the next step would be to send out a “change the date” card and/or email. Once sent, we recommend that you only accept online RSVPs to minimize confusion and make things easier for you as you receive RSVPs for your new date.
Be sure to include the updated information on your change the date and/or wedding website.
Also make sure to ask your guests to check in with any airline and travel companies to see if they are able to offer credit or refunds for their original flights. Many travel and airline companies are seeming to accommodate their guests with any travel plans that have been postponed due to the COVID-19 virus.
Photo Credit: Cade Bowman Photography
Make The Most Of Your Time
While it may seem difficult to do so, we advise you to postpone instead of cancel your wedding.
Yes, this requires a bit more planning and challenges, but gives you and your partner the wedding you always dreamed of having. And you and your partner deserve to celebrate your love with close friends and family! Work together with your vendors to plan the day you envisioned.
Still feeling down about having to postpone?
To keep things special, you could plan a sweet dinner or date night for you and your partner on your original wedding date. Perhaps you could share a special dance to your favorite song or exchange vows to each other. You could order a small cake from a nearby bakery, and have a private cake cutting. You can exchange personal wedding gifts or write each other letters. Make the day mean something to you and your partner.
Share a moment you’ll always remember.
During this difficult time, try to stay positive and be thankful for each other. Use this time together to start a new hobby, learn a new skill, try new recipes together, or just sit quietly together as you read a book or watch a movie. Make the most of your time together. If you have the means and are able, be sure to see what local businesses are doing around you! Now more than ever, small businesses are hurting and they are doing what they can to make ends meet. Many local breweries and restaurants are offering no-contact delivery or curbside pick up. You could have your very own downtown date night right in your living room!
The articles below have some great at-home date night ideas!
Photo Credit: Capturing WNC Photography
We’re Here for You
If the COVID-19 virus has affected you and your partner in other ways, just know we are all in this together and this too shall pass. As most of you get ready to exchange vows at a future date, always remember:
“in sickness and in health, we will be together.”
If you have more questions about the changes in your wedding plans due to the COVID-19 virus, be sure to reach out to your wedding coordinator and use them as a resource!
