Reschedule Your Wedding for COVID-19?
Twenty twenty seemed like such a great year to plan a wedding. I remember telling people that 2020 was going to be a crazy wedding season; little did I know it would be crazy for very different reasons. Our calendar filled up earlier than it ever had. We have 2020 weddings booked everywhere from Cheyenne and Laramie to Buffalo and the Tetons, to Breckenridge, Colorado and even one on the Oregon Coast. We have been so pumped to work with our 2020 couples who are planning to get married this summer and fall.
That is one thing that has not changed.
We are still looking forward to working with you all, and we love a good challenge. We are heartbroken that you might have to consider rescheduling your big day after months of planning, but we hope we can help make any changes to your big day a little less painful for you.
How Do I Know If I Need to Postpone?
For April and possibly May, the consensus seems to be that you will need to reschedule. For June, July or August weddings, most planners are suggesting waiting until you are within the 30 to 45 day window. Give yourself a “decision date,” and make sure family and close friends know when you will make that final decision. (You don’t need every aunt and cousin calling or texting to ask what the plan is!) Have a plan B in mind if possible. If you know you have to reschedule, pick out a new date as soon as you can. Dates for fall and next year will go quickly, so don’t wait until they are all taken!
If it begins to look like the wedding you had planned just isn’t going to be possible, there are a couple things you should do right away.
1. Postpone, Don’t Cancel
You might be tempted to throw in the towel during this stressful time. However, I really believe you will regret that decision, and you may risk losing deposits from your venue or other vendors. If you are anxious right now, I suspect your stress will be reduced significantly once you make a decision to reschedule. Your celebration will be that much sweeter when you can be together with all your family and friends. If there’s anything we all need right now, it’s something to look forward to.
2. Reach Out to Vendors
If you are still in “wait and see” mode for June or later, let your vendors know when your final decision will be made and ask how that will affect your current contracts with them. They can help you come up with a plan B, and some venues might hold dates for you. Many couples are moving their wedding dates to one year later on the exact same date. There is a good chance the venue and all vendors will still be available for that date, as it would likely fall on a Friday or Sunday for a previously-scheduled Saturday date.
We are not charging any rescheduling fees for couples who are moving to a new date. As long as we have your new date open, we will move all deposits and payments to your new date. Some planners are encouraging couples to look at weekdays for their events later in the year or in 2021, as venues likely still have many weekdays dates available. We are also holding most open Saturdays this fall for our summer brides who may need to reschedule.
No matter what, it is important to let your vendors know as early as possible if you think you will need to move your date. We currently still have many open Saturdays for 2021. We also still have some 2020 fall dates open.
Basic questions you need to ask every vendor:
- Do you have any rescheduling fees?
- Are you available for my new date?
- If we schedule for a mutually-agreed upon date, can my original deposit be fully transferred to my new date/contract?
- How will my original payment schedule change based on my new date?
- For venues: Can you send me a list of available dates so I can coordinate the rest of my originally-booked vendors?
- If we have to reschedule again, what will be your terms?
3. Notify Your Guests ASAP
As soon as you decide to postpone, let your guests know so they can change travel plans. If you have a “decision date” picked out, you might post something on your wedding website that tells people to stay tuned. If you still need a wedding website, Minted offers free wedding websites, or private sites for a $15 flat fee.
“We can’t wait to celebrate with you! We will keep you notified if anything changes in the next few weeks.”
Consider a “Postponement” announcement. I would love to create a digital one for you at no cost, like this one.
Paperless post might also be an option to send via email. Or if you’d prefer a paper one, Minted has templates, or you could do a simple 5×7, one-sided card like this one.
4. Consider Marriage Now and a Party Later
If you really want to keep your original date, tie the knot in an elopement now and celebrate with all your loved ones at a later date. We are happy to work with our couples to provide coverage, from a safe distance, at both the elopement and the celebration.
Lastly, if we can help you navigate this time in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Interested in an elopement? I am also booking weekday elopements in Wyoming after May 1st, 2020 and into the summer and fall. Any elopements or sessions will be subject to social distancing guidelines and applicable laws and public health orders.