POSTPONED WEDDING? TIPS FOR THE BEST RESCHEDULING

11^st April 2020

After months of planning, here we are forced to decide whether and how to postpone the wedding in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Several future spouses are experiencing moments of anxiety trying to understand what to do to avoid any kind of damage: while some couples still have time to decide what to do, there are many others who must resign themselves to the idea of postponing their wedding that was planned for spring or early summer.

We can think of the most unimaginable situations but, as a wedding planner, I may say that something unpredictable is always around the corner: whether it is a global pandemic like Coronavirus or any other serious unexpected event, you can just change the wedding date. Nobody would ever want to be in such a situation and I know what doubts or fears are going through your head. So I thought to give you some useful tips for helping you with the rescheduling of your wedding and prevent a nervous breakdown!

Whatever has upset your plans, keep calm and call your vendors first to let them know that you want to postpone the wedding. I know, you are going to take as much time as possible to decide about a postponing but be careful to take it easy: some vendors contracts may provide for a penalty in case you decide to postpone a few months or a few weeks from the agreed date. Do not consider it unfair but, as professionals, they have committed themselves to your wedding by renouncing another client or facing advance expenses.

However, there are borderline situations in which we should help each other and these kinds of penalties should fail because there is a lack of conditions to carry out the wedding: this is the case of natural disasters or the global pandemic with which we are forced to live in recent months. Do not be afraid, warn your vendors as soon as possible and you will find the best solution together to celebrate your wedding!

Before choosing the new wedding date, you should estimate when the situation will get back to normal and keep in mind what was the concept of your dream wedding. When postponing an important event such as a wedding, in fact, you must not forget to consider a fundamental aspect: colors, flowers, temperature... each season has its characteristics and it is up to you to choose if you are willing to adapt yourself to a different period or if you want to stay faithful to the initial project.

Contact your venue first and take note the free dates of the new period chosen to also check the availability of the church and the other vendors. After comparing yourself with everyone, set the new date and do not forget to update all the contractual conditions in writing. It may happen that one of your vendors is already busy with another wedding precisely for that date which is suitable for all the others; in this case, consider whether it is better to replace it with another, thus losing the down payment paid or whether to look for a different date on which all your suppliers may be present.

In the situation of total uncertainty in which we are living because of the Coronavirus, making predictions is almost impossible: we can only rely on virologist's predictions while we are bombarded with news and continuous updates that hope for a slow improvement. What is certain is that it will still take a few months before we can return to celebrate with our loved ones in total safety. Postponing the wedding to next year is the best option for those planning to get married between May and June thus avoiding a wedding in autumn or winter. For those who have the wedding set between July and September, I would recommend waiting for the next month to better understand the evolution of the situation.

The last step is warning your guests! When the postponement reason is a personal situation, instead of a global pandemic, friends and relatives may ask you uncomfortable questions: in these cases it is important to keep a positive attitude and bear in mind that a postponed marriage is more common than you think! In case you should have been married shortly and you are still waiting to define the new date, tell to your guests that you have postponed the wedding by sending them a virtual "Change the date" (or "Unsave the date") via e-mail or messages. Used by those who have already delivered their invitations, this tool is the solution of modern times to warn everyone clearly and quickly.

Once you have chosen the new date, you could also update your wedding website and call relatives and friends to renew your invite.

Postponing the wedding does not mean giving up on the concept designed. If you have chosen another season, there are several ways to keep untouched the project created, such as playing with details, changing or adding colors closest to that time of year... To a starting palette composed of neutral or pastel colors, insert warm and bright shades for autumn or cold and intense colors for winter; decorative elements could help for better match with the chosen season. Your vendors involved in the stylistic aspect as the wedding planner and floral designer, will advise you on the best solutions to respect your concept.

Take your time to reschedule your wedding in the best way. Remember that a postponed wedding is better than a canceled wedding so as not to throw away all the work done and more. The wedding date may change but the love you feel for each other won't and celebrating your special day will be even more beautiful after the long wait.