For weeks, we at the wedding industry have been grappling with growing concerns about the coronavirus, and the increased urgency to practice distancing from everything and everyone. New recommendations certainly draw a line for even more couples who had been on the fence about rescheduling their upcoming nuptials and after this incredible article in Brides with the – Top Questions Engaged Couples Have About Coronavirus Right Now -, if you are not certain whether you should postpone your wedding, or are wondering what that the situation may look like, we have good news for you.
Below you will find out why postponing your events can prove a far better option than canceling the good times. Yes contrary to what you may have intially been thinking, rescheduling comes with several perks. Below we have included the most practical and valuable tips for a seamless switch, because we completely understand how it feels to plan for something and then be told to steer clear of your wonderful plans. But, life is all about having to readjust the sails of our courses and knowing that every problem has a gift in its hands for us.
EVERY SITUATION COMES WITH NOT ONE, BUT MANY SOLUTIONS. Yes, what is happening right now is an unprecedented, rapidly changing situation and yet, with flexibility, patience—maybe a little compromise— and ingenuity, you can still have the wedding you’ve been planning, just perhaps on a different day. There is no situation without a solution and things don’t simply end, they evolve.
REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS. Beyond the calligraphed invites, flowers, and carefully curated details, you chose to get married (and plan a wedding!) because you wanted to marry your partner surrounded by the people you love the most. This is still plausible, so perhaps take this situation as a means to reconsider several parameters. In every obstacle there is an opportunity, to rethink, to revise, and to …
CONTACT YOUR PLANNER & YOUR VENDORS. The specialists in the industry are the most well-versed individuals to handle rough situations as their experience is far more extensive than that of the press. Thanks to their expertise and close monitoring of the situation and health updates (remember your wedding is not the only event they need to cater for) they will help you navigate the situation and offer solutions for the switch of your dates.
TALK WITH YOUR PLANNER & VENDORS. Don’t be afraid to have a sitdown and discuss your anxieties and fears. Allow them to show you how you can win out of this situation and how to handle your finances. As you have probably proceeded to some downpayments to reserve your event dates and secure your vendors, postponing your events means you do not lose ANY of your deposits, and do not have to go through the process of emailing everyone and asking for your deposits back (this too can have its own implications, leaving you drained and unhappy about something that is so beautiful and should make you excited).
YOUR VENDORS ARE THERE FOR YOU. Let them know that you value their business, and understand that this is their income and how they pay their employees. Tell them your goal is to still keep your entire vendor team together, and just shift the date. Then discuss through with them what options you may have for doing so, as well as what may happen in the unfortunate situation they simply aren’t available on the new date that you end up with. If you don’t have a planner, start by contacting your venue. The goal is to disturb as little of the pre-set wedding plans as possible.
DISCUSS THE BACK UP PLAN WITH YOUR CLOSEST ONES. Sit down with your intended first, and then anyone else that need be included in that conversation (your parents, for example.) Decide what a second-best-case scenario looks like. Would you rather scrap the original plans than move dates? Is it more important that you preserve your RSVP list or all the details of your big day?
DEVELOP YOUR NEW PLAN WITH YOUR VENDORS. They will respect that you reached out directly and it gives you the opportunity to have some honest conversations and walk through the process together. Follow-up the call with a detailed email outlining what was discussed in writing to be sure everyone shares the same understanding and then followup with contract revisions.
TRY TO KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL VENDOR TEAM INTACT. For the smoothest transition to a new date, and likely the least financial impact, try to keep your original vendor team intact. This may mean being a little flexible with days of the week. If you’re looking at summer 2020, a Saturday will make it almost impossible to find a date that works for everyone. If you have a full indoor venue, November or December may give you more flexibility. If your wedding has outdoor components, you’ll have to look at August, September or October. Regardless, you may need to consider even a weekday. This fall Thursdays may be the new Saturdays for weddings…your guests will be understanding and will be looking forward to giving you the celebration you deserve!
FINANCIALLY SAFE If you can’t make 2020 work, offer to pay vendors now. If you’re thinking about postponing to next year, consider offering to pay their vendors 75 percent or more of their contract now and then the final balance next year. These vendors were counting on that as income for this year – this arrangement not only helps take care of their teams, but also may make a vendor a little more likely to be accommodating of the contract change when they know that they are still going to earn that income in 2020. Even with this arrangement you may incur some sort of additional financial costs, but this may help mitigate losses and help your vendors during this time as well.
UPDATE YOUR SITE AND YOUR GUESTS. Post to guests letting them know of the postponement. The sooner you send that out, the better so that your guests are in the know. You don’t need to have a new date [in order to let them know the wedding has been postponed.] You can either say that you will follow-up with an email or mailing with the updated date shortly, or you can request they reference your wedding website for evolving details. Once you do have the new date, we recommend mailing or sending via Paperless post a new save the date (this can be simple and to the point). Don’t forget to update your room block booking links on your website for the new dates.
EMBRACE THE CHANGE and don’t worry about disappointing people: The majority of your guests will likely be relieved that they don’t have to make the decision of whether or not to cancel their RSVP themselves. Instead they will have plenty of time to consider whether they wish to attend. Don’t let the change be a cloud over your happiest day. Your wedding experience should be incredible. Try to think that any other occurence may have forced you to postpone. As long as you and your loved ones are safe and sound which is the priority right now everything else can be planned for and resheduled to the finest seam and Italy is still perfect for your destination wedding.
FINALLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY consider all your vendors are here for you. You have not chosen your creatives randomly, but because you have a connection and most probably have already established a warm relationship with. Postponing your event may be the silver lining after all, because not only will everyone be eager to offer you much more but you, your partner and your attendees will enjoy your events a lot more as the decompression feeling will start to kick in. Getting rid of the excessive feelings of stress, the wish to make a celebration grander after a crisis, to laugh harder and the passionate desire to be able to offer more for the greater joy is a universal one.
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