Does the very idea of postponing and replanning your wedding, which you've been planning over the months, eat your heart out? Take our word; YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It has struck thousands of couples worldwide where countless weddings have been postponed, rescheduled or worse, and got cancelled as an impact of the global pandemic, COVID'19. So, heads up and do not be in haste to decide on cancelling your wedding; instead, hold the dream of your big day, reschedule it and keep the days numbered to replan your wedding day to stay organized and remember you are not ALONE on this!
"While your wedding is first-and-foremost your wedding, a wedding postponement or cancellation means a change of many, many plans—for many, many people including family, guests, and vendors. For this reason, it's important to approach postponing or canceling your wedding with that mindset, especially in a time of crisis, such as now with COVID-19."
-Brides by Anna Price Olson-
Couples plan their wedding day, starting from picking up the vendors, booking the venues, drafting the invitations and forwarding them to guests because they don't just choose to tie their knot but share the joy of the day surrounded by their loved ones too. Hence, it is beyond belief that a couple would want to miss out on the party that followed by "I Do." Therefore, at an uncertain time like this, mark our words; POSTPONING OR RESCHEDULING your wedding date instead of cancelling would be a wise choice that you might never regret, especially after 50 years from today!
"Reach out to the vendors you've hired about rebooking." "Vendors want you to have a wedding of your dreams, but also have to remember they're small businesses running on survival."
-Brides by Anna Price Olson-
Once you are confident that you will reschedule your wedding date, the first thing you ought to do is to speak to your vendors. Rescheduling your dates together with your vendors themselves will be a handy initiative for the replanning stage of your wedding. BETTER SOONER THAN LATER to contact primary vendors, like the venue, photographer, videographer, florist, band and the caterer. MAIL THEM, TEXT THEM OR RING THEM OR IN, EITHER WAY, MAKE IT CLEAR TO THEM THAT YOU DESIRE TO RESCHEDULE YOUR WEDDING DATE and let them recommend a date where YOU and ALL YOUR VENDORS are FLEXIBLE to go ahead with all the plans that you've all been working through thick and thin!
"Don't approach the vendor to snake by and get a discount!"—as well as the vendor, the economy, and their business—vendors will do their very best to move everything at a minimal cost. Obviously, when doing so, it's easiest to retain the vendors you've already booked as much as possible."
--Brides by Anna Price Olson-
It is not to be said, you need to be open-minded that vendors might be booked or unattainable, and with the deposits non-refundable, you will have to acknowledge that it is NOT BY THEIR CHOICE they denied; not to do your wedding! Besides, having seen and heard about their works, you may have hired them because you wanted them to be an INTEGRAL part of your wedding. Hence, they might probably recommend a good vendor which they've acquainted the same works as theirs or ask you to put a new date that they will be available to do your wedding. It would be a cast down to toss away the longing of "Be Together" with your other half, all the same something true that you will have to embrace! With that, be mindful to pick a new date that will be cozy, NOT JUST FOR YOUR VENDORS but also YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS' CALENDERS AS WELL!
"In the case of COVID-19, planners suggest letting guests know as soon as you've officially decided to change your date." That's too much phone tag! Just send an email, text, or communicate however you communicated to get addresses in the first place," Just let them know that the wedding has been postponed, date TBD!"
-Brides by Anna Price Olson-
Once you pull in a new date for your wedding, remember there are a set of people around you who are as longing as you to attend your wedding. Take your time to inform them that your wedding date has been rescheduled and the date to be notified soon! Our best recommendation here is to keep a closed-mouth of the date as much as possible and keep away from sending printed invitations to your guests. Nevertheless, if you've already sent the invitations to your guests, do not trouble yourselves in sending another set, for they can add more to your budget! Just sending the digital invitations before a month or two would be enough to notify your guests.
"It's important to ask yourself if you want this new celebration to look the same, as the details from the flowers to the linens to the food can change with the season." If you're going to change the date, likely in a new season, from a visual POV, do you want to embrace the seasonality you're moving towards?"
-Brides by Anna Price Olson-
Since the pandemic's circumstances and the safety guidelines that the government imposes depending on the region may vary from time to time, it is vital to abide by them and hold back firmly. So even if your marriage doesn't happen on the exact day you had planned, do not get your hearts broken! Instead, why not take advantage of this time to REPLAN your wedding? First, assume that you are gaining that little break that you've always wanted to take to get rid of the stress from planning your wedding. Then, spend your time more to grow together with your spouse, communicate and understand them better, and send some more love to them while staying home. Now, take a deep break, okay, you've got this! Your wedding planning still has a long line to draw together! It can be pretty demanding that you have to go with all the activities inside your home's limited space, but take the use of virtual platforms, have online meetings with your vendors, scheme every tiny detail you missed of your big day before SAFE AND SOUND AT YOUR HOMES!
Your wedding date, regardless of when, will always remain noteworthy, for, in the end, you will get to celebrate getting hitched surrounded by the people you love the most, and in that, REMEMBER WE ALL ARE HERE WITH YOU!
~Nipuni Mahathantri~
Photographs courtesy of Eliyadavide.co ( Eliya Davide Weddings )