So, COVID-19 Ruined Your Big Day. Now What?
First, know that you aren’t alone. Every bride, groom, wedding planner, wedding venue, cake baker, invitation designer (Hi!) has been stopped dead in their tracks. Second, and most importantly allow yourself to grieve and be frustrated. You’re allowed to be pissed and annoyed and even feel a little helpless at the situation. Third, use the resources made available to you. This includes your wedding planner, your maid of honor, your mom, your fiancé, the internet, your vendors…you get it. These people love you, they’re here for you, and they can help you find a light at the end of this coronavirus infested tunnel.
This article will help you come up with a simple and easy way to communicate your wedding date changes with the most important people on your list. So without further ado, here we go.
Can I just keep my original wedding date?
Answer 1: No.
Many if not most city, county, and state governments have issued shelter in place or stay in place directives to protect citizens from the community spread of COVID-19. This means that gatherings of any kind - from worship services to walking into your favorite coffee shop - are prohibited. So, even if you wanted to keep your March, April, or May wedding date, chances are you can’t:
Your wedding venue is likely closed for the foreseeable future
Your vendors likely cannot operate feasibly and are short staffed
Gathering anyone together at this moment in times puts you and your guests in danger of contracting and spreading COVID-19. Don’t do that to yourself or your loved ones (especially Jenny).
Answer 2: Yes.
Keep your date, and move your wedding online. I have a dear friend whose wedding has been impacted by COVID19. Rather than going through the hassle of rescheduling her date, she decided to invite all of her friends and family to a live stream of her now social distanced wedding on its original date. I love this idea, and think its such a sweet way to safely keep your date. Hey - if you’re in love and have had this date on the books why not keep it?
How do I start the process of changing my wedding date?
There are a few key things you need to do when changing your wedding date.
1. Contact your wedding venue (and your wedding planner if you have one) ASAP
All professionals in the wedding industry are being impacted by COVID-19, so it’s important that you reach out your vendors as soon as possible. Nearly 24% of all weddings in 2020 were predicted to take place in March - May alone, many of which now face being rescheduled or cancelled. But, you’re now competing with couples who’ve already locked in their dates throughout the rest of the year. The longer you wait to reschedule the greater the risk of having your date moved to 2021.
2. Contact your vendors
Once your new date has been determined, contact your remaining vendors. Photographers, bakers, seamstresses, invitation designers, day-of rentals need to know what’s changed and how they can accommodate. Many vendors are offering discounts and even complementary services to make up for COVID-19’s wrath. Some invitation designers are even offering free reprints of invitations for couples impacted by COVID-19.
3. Update your wedding party and your families
After your new date has been determined and vendors have been contacted. be sure to let your wedding party and families know what’s going on. Share your new date with them, and your plans. Your inner circle will want to offer support now more than ever, and in order to do that they need to be informed. Text, call, Facetime, email, snail mail - tell your people what’s going on!
4. Update your wedding website
Think of your wedding website as your mass communication tool. It should be where important and inspiring information lives - anything that your guests need to know should be on your wedding website. All you need to do is add your new date and brief sentence as to why the date has changed - have fun with it!
5. Update your guests with the new wedding date
If you’ve already sent out Save the Dates, but haven’t printed your invitations yet here’s what I recommend:
Option 1: Use your invitation as a means to communicate your new date. You may even include a short note explaining that the date has changed due to COVID-19.
Option 2: Split up emailing and/or texting, calling, or emailing all of your guests among you, your fiancé and your families (that way the communication goes out quickly)! Then send out your invitations as you would normally.
Option 3: Print new Save the Dates and send them out to your guests. I only recommend doing this if your wedding date is being pushed back 8+ months. Then send out your invitations as your would normally.
If you’ve already sent out Save the Dates, printed your invitations but haven’t mailed them yet here’s what you need to do:
Contact your Invitation Designer and ask them if they will offer you a discounted reprint due to your date change. If they are good designer, they will value your relationship and offer you a discount or even a complementary reprint. If they aren’t able to accommodate you, get in touch with a designer who can work with you - like me!
