Postponing Your Wedding

Amid the covid19 pandemic many couples are doing something they never imagined; rescheduling their wedding.

Having a plan to help you through this time is key to making sure you don’t miss anything.

If you have a wedding planner this is your first contact. You can sit down with your planner and decide how to tackle the list and what they can take off your plate.

If you’re the type of bride that has taken a hands approach and has spent months and months putting in all this work, it’s time to pull out your contracts and lists and get started.

Your first task is to call the venue. Find out what future dates they have available. Wedding venues fill up fast around here, and with many brides trying to reschedule you’ll be competing for limited dates. You may need to be open to Fridays, Sundays, and “off-season” months from late fall to early spring. If you plan your wedding and reception in two different places and you can’t them rescheduled for the same date you may need to be creative. You can consider inviting just the closest of family and friends to the wedding, and your full guest list to the later reception.

Get with your photographer as soon as you can. Chances are you chose your photographer because you fell in love with their style. See if they’re available for your new date. If they are unfortunately not, ask them for referrals. Chances are they know a few others that they love and would feel confident handing your day over to.

Next is your wedding stationery. If you are able, make sure that there is a freeze on printing anything with your wedding date on it; invitations (if they haven’t gone out yet), champagne glasses, etc.

If your wedding invitations have already gone out you can order a “change the date” card to send your guests to let them know you’re working on a new plan. This is an added expense, but it will make sure your guests know what’s going on.

Call your florist ask them to put a hold on your order, explain that you’ll be getting with them asap to reschedule your fresh blooms.

Your DJ is another key vendor you need to get a hold of. As with the photographer, if they’re not available get a referral for another DJ they recommend.

You need to contact your caterer for the new date availability, as soon as possible. They don’t usually order your food to prepare until the week of the wedding but definitely don’t put it off.

Call your baker and makes sure they know the plan and make sure they can accommodate you at the later date.

Your officiant needs to be contacted to make arrangements for the new date.

Hold off getting alterations to your dress if possible and call the tux rental place to postpone rentals.

If you’ve arranged to rent tables and chairs you need to check their availability as well.

If you have a day of coordinator, they need to sit down with you and go through all these changes and the new date to prepare.

An additional tip; your wedding was coming up soon, with final payment dates due. For as many vendors as you’ve been able to retain, pay those final payments now IF you can. During this uncertain time, they’re struggling with lost work. This will help support your community and your vendors. It also helps make sure you stay as close to your budget as you can and don’t spend that money somewhere else.

Remember the world is changing and we’re all trying to do what we can during this hard time.