The world is a scary place right now. There is so much uncertainty and so many questions and concerns about so much that will impact each and every one of our daily lives. But there is the few of you who are reading this right now wondering where to turn and what to do about the biggest day of your life. Your Wedding. Mixed in with all the chaos of toilet paper hoarding and trying not to binge eat all your quarantine snacks in one day (all while washing your hands raw), you're faced with having to postpone the day you have been working so hard to plan.
We have no words for what is happening and we are just as worried and confused as the rest of the world. Our hearts ache for the couples who's biggest moment need to be put on hold in the midst of the most concerning things that most of us have ever had to faced. We cannot stress how heavy our hearts are for each and every one of you. While we are taking COVID-19 one day at a time and we have many uncertainties in this, One thing we DO know is how to help.
Brides and Grooms... Firstly, Take a breath. Take a step back and relax. As hard as that is during this time...Breathe.
The thought of postponing a wedding is terrifying. We understand that. Will you need to relocate? Will you get deposits back? Many questions are flooding your mind, understandably. Unfortunately the answers will not be cut and dry, either. Each wedding or event will differ depending on your contracts and availability of vendors.
So how will you get through planning a wedding or event during a pandemic?
HIRE a coordinator- If you have not done so already, get in contact with a planner who knows the inside and outside of wedding contracts, who have the time to put into calling each vendor and obtaining every detail needed to ensure you are on the right track with each aspect of postponing your date.
Let your guests know- This is very important. You will need to let each guest know that there will still be a wedding and that it will be moved to a later time. Let them know that they will be informed of the new wedding date as soon as possible.
Prioritize- Start with the big things. Make a list. Worry about the big things first. One at a time and work your way down to the little things. As much fun as it is to worry about the decor and the color scheme, this is not something that will need to be done asap. Cross the big things off first, there will be plenty of time to pinterest winter weddings during your quarantine. Starting with your venue, pick up the phone and secure a new date. Don’t wait because the dates for summer and fall are limited. You will need to be flexible if you want to keep your venue – you might not get a prime Saturday, but venues are eager to find a solution! Once you’ve squared everything away with the venue, go down the line with each of your booked vendors and request their services on the new date. When it comes to postponing a wedding and rescheduling vendor bookings, our advice is this: reschedule in the same order that you planned your wedding. If you called the caterer second in your original planning process, reschedule with them second. Do the same for rescheduling the wedding rehearsal dinner, all wedding weekend festivities and room blocks.
Read those contracts- Look through each contract and see if there is any mention postponing or cancellations. Skim through the legal jargon and try to pick out keywords such as postponement, date change or “force majeure” ( Which means "act of God" -an unforeseeable catastrophe or natural disaster- ). AKA the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enjoy it- As stressful as this all can be people do not often get to plan two weddings.. Look at the glass half full. Keep smiling, keep imagining the day and the perfection that will surround it. This situation is not ideal, but make the most of it. There is so much negative in the world right now, so take this downside and turn it into an upside. Enjoy it.
We are always here to help. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this terrible time as it pertains to your wedding, please contact us.
Stay safe, wash your hands, and keep planning, Affinity Fam.
xoxo,
-A&C