There’s no doubt that this a worrying time for many people, including anyone planning their wedding. We’ve come up with some top tips and food for thought for anyone getting married at this time including the four key steps, and some helpful freebies.
The first thing to note is - don’t panic! Everyone is in this together. If your wedding is due to take place in the coming weeks and you’re worried about vendors, venues etc. just remember they’re also living through this coronoavirus / Covid-19 pandemic. Wedding vendors and suppliers will work with you to ensure your wedding is held in the safest manner possible, or postponed to a more suitable time- they don’t want to be at risk either.
Should I cancel or postpone?
We’ve seen many couples ask this question - should we cancel, should we postpone? There’s one simple answer - postpone!
When to make the call is another question, but when it comes to cancelling or postponing the advice of the experts is to postpone. Weddings are a busy time, with lots of preparations and planning in advance - sometimes up to a year in advance of the big day. By cancelling you will be starting all this again from scratch when you choose to go ahead. Also many of your vendors will be delighted to work along with you if you postpone to another date, and many will honour deposits/ booking fee.
Thinking about postponing? Here are some things to think about when choosing your new date:
What dates does my venue have free?
Will all of my vendors be available?
These are two of the major things to check before deciding on a new date - otherwise you could be left planning from scratch again.
We also recommend re-scheduling to a time not too far into the future to keep the buzz and momentum of your big day alive.
Midweek/ Weekend:
For many couples planning a wedding it seems the only option is a weekend day. However there are many benefits to choosing the midweek, and off season dates. Price is often a huge bonus when it comes to midweek and off-peak dates. Also there’s a much better chance you can move your dream team of suppliers with you and they won’t already be booked up.
Sunday weddings are an option for many types of ceremony but in most Catholic churches they have not been allowed for the last number of years. This could be something to ask your priest about as we’ve heard of lots of parishes now allowing Sunday wedding dates to help accommodate couples who need to postpone.
COIVID 19 RESTRICTIONS:
At the time of this blog weddings are prohibited, however it’s quite likely that when weddings are allowed it will be under restricted numbers again (as it was prior to full cancellations). For anyone with a small wedding this shouldn’t be a problem. However for everyone else you must take into account any other people present when thinking about restricted numbers -venue staff, photographer etc all count towards the maximum numbers. Many people are choosing to go ahead with the wedding ceremony so that they are legally married and then postponing the celebrations until another date.
The steps:
Review all information from the government and look at your options (restricted numbers, postponement). Things are constantly changing so we advise couples to have a plan B in place but leave it as long as possible to check the most recent government guidelines. When you’ve decided on your approach contact your guests to keep them updated.
2. Contact your venue and suppliers to see what their policies are with regard to postponing and dates available. Make a list of dates that are available to all vendors or make a list of preferred dates and see if your vendors are free. This will mean you can still have your dream wedding with your dream team just on a later date.
3. Notify your key people first- parents, wedding party and family. Then notify your guests. Remember many of your guests will be planning for your day too- outfits, appointments, babysitters etc. so the earlier you can communicate with them the better. Guests will be very understanding given the circumstances, and again they will be eager to stay safe themselves. There are lots of stationery companies doing great options for change of dates, and even digital options to save on time. We love these free digital postponement cards from Amore Wedding Stationery.
4. Use your time- now you’ve some extra time use it wisely! While staying in and keeping safe you may find some extra time to finish off those DIY wedding bits. Don't forget to take a rest and use this as a chance to relax before the big day. You now have the opportunity to be the most relaxed wedding couple ever, knowing that you’ve had extra time to plan and prepare!