5 tips for surviving wedding postponement due to covid19

The COVID 19 pandemic has officially become all that everyone is talking about (rightfully so) and if you are a Bride or Groom we can’t even begin to imagine what you and all the couples across the nation are feeling right now, when the happiest day of your life is now balancing in the midst of unknowns and coupled with the feelings of sadness, fear, and isolation. Our world changed overnight and we are now navigating waters that no one has ever had to prepare for in recent history. Lay aside the funny meme’s, gifs, and images floating around facebook, and just flat out say it… THIS SUCKS! and we hear you and we couldn’t agree more with that sentiment. 

Now if you are Bride or Groom, and you are facing the gut wrenching reality that your wedding has been or might be postponed, WE are here for you and want you to know you are not alone in all of this! If you are a wedding industry vendor and you are walking through this nightmare of postponements we are right there along side you too. My heart feels like it has grieved 10x over! How can one complete season, a season of world travel, excitement, documentaries and love be wiped out in a single day? It is hard to wrap our mind around but there is always alternatives and ways to make it through.

So from one love obsessed person to another, here are 5 things I  have found chatting with other couples & wedding professionals that will help you survive this season of postponements!

 

 #1 – First we can’t stress this enough … reach out to your vendors ASAP especially your venue. You might be shocked how many are willing to work with you in rescheduling your date. You also have to understand you are not their only customer. So if you want to postpone do it ASAP so you can work a date that they are available because if everyone is rescheduling the premium dates that were once open are most likely going to get booked up. We were fortunate enough to have all the dates open that the venues gave to our couples but I know this hasn’t been the case for everyone. You will want to inquire about any fees that may be incurred by switching out your date. Most wedding professionals we have chatted with are not charging any additional fees. The only time money has become an issue is when their rescheduled date was taken and they had to negotiate refunding the deposit. 

#2 – Notify your wedding party. This is a given but with all the whirl wind of what’s happening you may let that one slip. Your Wedding Party may need to rearrange travel plans, and or cancel flights. Also make plans for the new date, in case any of your wedding party needs to take time off of work, make travel plans,  etc… just be prepared with what that new line up may look like.

#3 – Notify guests… This is the hard one. Worried about all those invitations you just sent out? We have seen some really cute Postponement announcement cards being mailed out as updates, no need to make a whole new invitation. Some couples have even gone as far as creating a wedding website and updating  their guests via the platform. This can be done quick and there are a ton of free services that have access to wedding websites. Another route to explore is creating a Facebook Group and inviting all of your wedding guests to the group so you can easily notify them of any changes. 

#4 – HONEYMOON … this is the one that really tears me apart. Some of you have been saving up for this day just as much as your own wedding. Check in with your travel agent, if booked through one, or with flights to see if you are even going to be able to fly to that location. This is a personal decision, if flights are still banned then you will need to look into cancelling and hopefully getting a refund. We have seen couples say they are going to try and still go on their honeymoon to just get away. 

#5 – Celebrate the original date. The date was important to you and it had meaning and probably always will. Plan to do something on that day, let it be celebrating via a zoom with family and friends and toasting to when it will happen, or pop open a bottle of wine, make your favorite meal… makes some sweets and just spend quality time together. It’s okay to mourn the loss of a “what if” … it hurts there is no denying that but why not make the best of it and refocus on the two of you. 

 alternative wedding plans due to covid19 one brides story … 

We call Buckeye AZ home, and live in a master plan community and we love “Verrado”! Our community has banned together in ways that I  would be lost without their support. One of our community businesses a local coffee shop by the name of “Ebb n Flow” houses two vibrant young owners, whom one is or was suppose to get married  May 2, 2020.

“ My heart is just breaking, I  don’t even care what it looks like I just want to be married!”

Words uttered my way, as I stopped in to grab a quick coffee. My heart sank for her… a good person, friend, and frankly genuine soul. NO one should have to experience this pain!

So much comes with the postponement of a wedding. The bridal shower gets moved, the bachelorette party gets cancelled, and the dress that you are heading to pick up has to be stored away!

This is how one BEST FRIEND took it upon herself to make sure her friend could still celebrate that special event she had been planning for months. #lizapalooza was engineered overnight, and the hope was to make the day all about LIZ and not the fact that COVID19 took so much from her.  Taking the destination bachelorette weekend and bringing it hometown side, these two best friends bonded over a moment instead of letting the current time define it.

The morning started with some “goat yoga” followed by a day of events ending the night with a meet up staying 6ft apart to toast to the bride and groom to be. All wearing denim, with laughter on their faces! They no longer could remember what there was to be sad about.

Like we mentioned before, DON’T feel like you need to cancel everything… try and still make the time you planned for have meaning in alternative ways. If you can’t celebrate due to “stay at home” restrictions, maybe it’s a little different, but still celebrate the memory that you hoped would come true, you deserve it.

one more option … elope!

Believe it or not, Joe and I eloped almost 8 years ago. It wasn’t about the wedding for us, it was about just being married. I  think back to then and wonder if I had the opportunity to change the way we said “I Do” would I? TRUTH… the only thing I  would have done, is made sure our parents were present. So many of our couples have had to move their date to the fall and some even to next year as they were getting married internationally. Whose to say when this nightmare will end. If you don’t want to wait and you want to stand in your living room with your best-friend and say I  DO with less than 10 people of course or have them attend via video call, then friend I say You DO IT! Yes documenting it, is so important but sometimes waiting for the unknown to happen is just not feasible. You can still celebrate later at your postponed wedding date with friends and family!

Here are some ways you can turn that ceremony into a “hitched because our day got ditched” kind of party!

#1 Big Dinner Party – Can skip the ceremony all together and just do a big dinner party. Bringing so many together after a time of fear and world shattering experience is a refreshing ending to such a terrible situation.

#2 Full On Celebration– Or just do it big and turn it into a full on wedding celebration and don’t deny you are already wed but go wild with your guests. Re-commit vows, exchange rings, and enjoy the time together after being apart for so long! 

Whatever you do, let it be a celebration of love. Of the commitment you are making to one another, and the life you are choosing to now live. Together as one forever and ever amen. I  mean your wedding survived the pandemic.. that’s got to mean something right?

God luck, stay healthy and safe…