Saturday, 15th August, 2020

How to Reschedule Your Wedding Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic - Fenix Events Wedding Blog

How to Reschedule Your Wedding Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

First and foremost, reschedule, don’t cancel.

While no couple ever wants to be forced to postpone their wedding, sometimes you just can’t avoid a date change. That’s the reality that many couples who have spent months planning now face due to the COVID-19 pandemic that’s currently sweeping the globe and the restrictions on gatherings and travel that have been put in place to curb the spread. Though this is an undoubtably difficult decision to make, and the thought of re-planning the celebration you’ve already worked so hard on can feel overwhelming, you will get through it. Instead of panicking, it’s time to plan. “I think that creating a plan on how to tackle the situation can actually relieve a lot of stress and anxiety,” says Carly Cohen, Director of the Maple Event Group.

Here, our lovely Director walks you through the process of rescheduling, not cancelling, your big day.

Freeze your custom orders

“If you’re postponing within ten weeks of your scheduled event, call your stationery designer and florist immediately; ask the designer to put a stop on printing anything with your current wedding date, and request that the florist hold off on placing an order for fresh blooms you won’t end up using”, says Cohen.

Next, call your venue to find out which future dates they have available. It’s important to be open to Fridays, Sundays, and off-peak months. “As this situation has grown, more and more people are looking to reschedule, which means that dates with venues can be competitive, even during the lower season,” says Cohen, who’s encouraging clients to look for dates in late 2020 (or even later if they’re willing to wait). “I really don’t want to push too much earlier than that,” she says. “The only thing more stressful than rescheduling once because of the coronavirus is rescheduling twice.”

Fenix - Wedding - River Terrace - Real Weddings (156)

Stay flexible

If you planned to hold your ceremony and reception at two different sites, finding shared availability may not happen. “If there is not a date that works for both, I would recommend considering having the ceremony and reception on two separate dates and inviting a smaller group to the ceremony,” says Cohen. You may also be able to have your ceremony at your reception venue, or combine those options: “Have the real ceremony in the religious space on Friday, and then a quick spiritual ceremony before the canape hour and reception on the wedding day,” says Cohen. “There’s really no wrong answer here, and guests will be very understanding considering the circumstances.”

Prioritize your suppliers

“When you have a new date in mind, touch base with your day-of suppliers to confirm their availability, starting with your photographer”, suggests Cohen. “Most clients have an established relationship with their photographer, particularly if you’ve already done engagement photos together,” she says, ”and since photographers generally only shoot one wedding per weekend, they book up especially quickly”. As for other key suppliers that can only take one event per day, possibly your videographer and your band or DJ, inform these suppliers of your new date as soon as possible. “If it’s possible to hold two dates with a venue, that can be ideal to offer possible dates to suppliers and survey availability,” says Cohen.

The majority of florists, stylists, transport and cake designers can handle multiple events on the same day, so should be able to accommodate your changes, but if there’s any one supplier in this group you can’t imagine getting married without, call them early.

photographer

Get it in writing

As you narrow down your new date with your venue and other suppliers, confirm the changes in writing. “Immediately ask for a contract addendum or other guarantee in writing that they are at least holding the date for you, if not securing it entirely,” says Cohen. “Some may send over addendums to contracts, but many will not. Make sure you have an email response with them to confirm one way or another. Even in the case that a new date is not scheduled, it is important that every supplier receives an email stating the intention to postpone right away, and make sure to receive written confirmation that the supplier is aware of the pending date change.”

Tell your guests

If you are continuing to plan your event for its original date, but also placing an alternate date on hold in the event the world hasn’t reached a state of normalcy by your event date, a good idea is to set up a dedicated social media account or group chat. Some couples opt to create a private online group, like a Facebook group, or a private Instagram account, where guests can be kept up to date on your plans. “This is the best way to keep everyone update on your wedding in real time”, suggested Cohen. “Once you know that you’re officially postponing your wedding, consider sending a postponement card to your guests, at least to those who may not be seeing your updates by email or through your social media account”.

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Track down your wedding dress

If your wedding dress is with your seamstress, let her know you are moving your wedding date and will be postponing your alterations; be prepared for her to ask you to pick up your wedding dress if she’s not able to store gowns for a large number of brides who are changing their dates. “But don’t forget about it”, says Cohen, “once you have a new date, get back on schedule with your alterations. Make sure to try it back on at about eight weeks out and schedule appointments as needed.”

Make your payments

Postponing your wedding generally means putting off the official due date for your final payments, but Cohen encourages couples to pay whatever they can according to the original schedule; it’s in your best interest to help your suppliers stay afloat (instead of having their business go under—with the money you’ve already paid). “Most florists, stylists, photographers etc, have been forced to stand down all of their employees, but they still have really high overhead costs,” she says. “Suppliers are having a very difficult time, and we want to make sure that everyone stays in business so that we have suppliers to rely on when this passes.”

Remember, love is not cancelled. To end, Cohen shares a final piece of advice for all planning or affected by the current coronavirus crisis. “The goal of a wedding is to celebrate the couple and their love story with their loved ones and families. We encourage couples to plan full steam ahead, to continue to be inspired and seek out inspiration, and to also share their story,” she says. “As soon as we’re all able to gather, you know that your wedding is going to be feted and celebrated like crazy! Be ready for that moment and have your plans in place to have the best wedding ever!”

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How to Reschedule Your Wedding Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic - Fenix Events Wedding Blog

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