First of all, I want you to know that you are allowed to be sad, unhappy and even mad that you have to reschedule your Wedding date. It is okay to grieve the loss of a date that you planned for, prepared for, and invested in. I know that many times the date you picked to get married on may have special meaning for you as a couple, but please remember that in the grand scheme of things, it is just a supporting factor to marrying the love of your life. You will still be together and have the chance for an amazing celebration that you so deserve.

Here are the things I would keep in mind when you are trying to weigh the pros and cons of rescheduling your Wedding date.

1. How much of your guest list will be traveling?
2. Do you have elder or immuno-compromised loved ones on your guest list that you really want to celebrate the day with?
3. How about cutting the guest list down to 50? Is this doable for your family?
4. Is streaming your wedding virtually an option?
5. Do you feel that people will be hesitant to want to gather in big crowds? If you continue moving forward, you might get many declines – do not let this hurt your feelings.

So, let’s say that after long and hard conversations with each other and your immediate family that you decide you don’t want to (or you just can’t because of regulations) get married on your original Wedding date. When you are in the right mind frame, hopefully having a clear plan will help alleviate some of your stress. Please use the below notes and the checklist document to help.

Before jumping into the checklist, keep these two tips in mind:  

Tip #1: Try to reschedule and not cancel. As a wedding vendor, I highly recommend rescheduling rather than cancelling. Oftentimes, deposits that you paid will be transferable to other dates throughout the year but if you cancel, you might not get those deposits back.

Tip #2: Stay Flexible. Take this time to make your day better – you might be happier with this plan than your original date. If getting married in 2020 is a big deal to you, how about doing a less popular day of the week – Thursday for instance? How about a Micro-Wedding? You can also stream your Wedding virtually for other guests to join.

Rescheduling Checklist: 

1. Reach out to your venue and find out the following information: What is your Rescheduling Policy? What are your remaining available dates in 2020 and 2021?
2. Pick a few date options based on your venue’s availability. It is best to have your first choice and then back up choices when reaching out to your vendor team.
3. Reach out to your remaining vendor team at once. You may not get everyone available on the same day so prioritize which vendors are the most important to you. If say, everyone is available except your bakery, you might choose to look for another baker.
4. Re-read your contracts to determine the cancellation/refund policy on each. This will be important only if you need to consider cancelling with a vendor. You can request refundable deposits, however, be prepared not to receive these back. In most instances, your deposit will not be refunded but your vendor will let you out of the remaining balance due.
5. Inform your guests. Your guests love you and your fiancé. They want to do what is best for you so they are going to understand the postponement and do everything they can to be there for your new date. You can call, email, post on your wedding website or send out an e-change of date. I am still offering to create your e-change of date for free. Just email us!
6. Re-evaluate your Wedding decor and access new needs. Now is the time to think about whether you want your new celebration to look the same as what you have planned. Colors, Flowers, etc. can change with the season – a spring wedding may look quite different than a winter wedding – but ultimately, this is up to you! Maybe you are deciding that you want to lower your guest count, which will then lower the tables, centerpieces, room block number and so forth. These are all details you will want to re-evaluate and make sure you are the right track with.

 

Postponing Checklist PDF

You may not see it now, but I promise by the time your Wedding Day arrives, your stress will be far behind you. Also, you and your fiancé can take pride in the fact that as you navigate this pandemic, your relationship will come out stronger and more resilient.

Should you have any other rescheduling questions, we are just an email away. Now is the time to utilize your Wedding Planner or hire one if you do not have one yet. Hello@RebeccaCalagna.com

xo, rc