Postponing your Wedding
Writing this title has stirred up a lot of emotions for me. I can’t even begin to imagine how current couples are feeling as they go through the process of postponing their wedding day. I wanted to share some insight about what steps to take when having to start this process and hope that it provides some help to those couples that need it!
Step one: The biggest question is if you should decide to postpone. There is no straightforward answer, but here are some things to take into consideration to help in deciding if it is necessary.
Are there still “stay at home” orders in place? Is your state government restricting gatherings of a certain size?
Is your venue open? Some venues, such as restaurants, are required by law to stay closed, which would mean your wedding date might be affected.
Are there a lot of guests traveling from out of state or country? With travel bans in place, it could be difficult for your guests to even get to your wedding.
Will making the decision to postpone relieve some stress you might have?
Step two: Once you have decided to postpone, the first thing you need to do is reach out to your venue regarding available dates. Fall wedding dates are filling up quickly and some weddings are being pushed back a year, so be aware going into the rescheduling process that this may happen. If you want to still have your wedding within the year, you may be able to book a Thursday or Sunday.
Remember, your wedding is ultimately about your marriage to your partner and a celebration of that union! You will be able to have this celebration, but possibly on a different date.
Step three: Once you have available dates, see if you can put a soft hold on a particular one while you check in with your other vendors about their availability. Since vendors are usually booked a year out, their availability may be limited so you will want to check with them as soon as you have another date in mind.
Step four: Time to make a final decision on a new wedding date. Make sure you sign all new contracts with your vendors indicating your new wedding date. If some vendors are not available, review their contracts regarding rescheduling or canceling. The reality is, some vendors won’t be available to reschedule and you may forfeit your initial deposit made. Ask them for recommendations for replacements, if needed.
Step five: After notifying all vendors, next step is to notify all of your guests! Instead of printing and mailing cards, you can download postponement templates and email this digitally to your guests. This will save you time and money! Make sure that you have also changed the hotel room blocks so that guests can reschedule their stay.
Step six: Reprint your wedding invitations. You most likely will only need to reprint the invitation with the new date and the RSVP card with the new RSVP deadline. You probably won’t need to reprint the preaddressed envelopes, liners, or meal selections etc. Reach out to the company that printed your original invites, as some are offering large discounts for a reprint order!
Step seven: Remain as calm and stress free as possible during this time. Know that you will have your wedding day; it just may be on a different date than originally planned! You are not alone in this!
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email (info@ashleyperaino.com) I would be happy to help in any way that I can!!
