Imagine this: Your day is finally here, you look stunning and you’re walking down the aisle seeing all of the smiling faces of your family and friends there to share your special day. You see your beloved looking at you lovingly and then stretching their hand out for you…and then your alarm goes off and you wake up to the nightmare that has become your wedding planning.
I know so many of you are disappointed, worried and frustrated with this situation. Feeling that all of your hard work, for probably over a year, has all gone down the drain in an instant. BUT, trust and believe that your day will come and if you decide to postpone it will probably be the first time your family and friends come together. It will be the event of the Century! In the meantime, take a deep breath as I share some advice for couples impacted by the Coronavirus and what you can do to get through this.
Communicate with Vendors
Stay in communication with your vendors. You know you are not the only wedding dealing with this so stay ahead of the game and be prepared to provide a couple of alternate dates. Prioritize your must have vendors and contact them first.
Notify Guests
Make sure to notify guests. At this point, a phone call or email will suffice. Contact the out-of-town guests first so that they can manage their travel arrangements.
Be Flexible
Be flexible and keep an open mind. Imagine all of the weddings that are now having to be rebooked. Yes, your heart was set on a beautiful Spring/Summer wedding, but it may be a Christmas one now or even next year. If you are adamant on a particular venue, you will need to be flexible.
Be Patient
Be patient. Wedding vendors have also been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. In most cases these are small, owner-operated businesses that have lost revenue and are dealing with a lot more than just rebooking their cancellations. They are trying to save their family’s livelihood. Imagine you running a business and all of a sudden every client calls you to postpone and cancel and you have no idea how your business will survive. I just ask that you put yourself in their shoes when calling them.
They will be more than happy to work with you so that you can have your dream wedding. This is probably the #1 piece of advice for couples impacted by the Coronavirus; please be patient. Remember they are working with a lot of couples that have been impacted at the same time.
Don’t Rush Into Anything
Do not rush to pick a new date. Make sure you stay up-to-date on the latest government updates on when businesses will be able to reopen in your area. Each state is different and travel bans in some states may affect your guests’ ability to travel as well. Don’t panic and think you have to pick the first day that comes available.
If you were planning a destination wedding or had booked your honeyoom, make sure to read your cancellation policies. Chances are you will be able to rebook without any additional fees and when rebooking, consider the travel insurance.
Keep Your Plans, but from a distance
After weighing all of your options, you both may decide to just keep your original date with a small (very small) group of people and then plan a celebration later in the year. Make sure to follow any guidelines for group gatherings in your state.
If you choose to move forward with your original date, consider live streaming it. Now more than ever I am so grateful that we have the technology that keeps us connected to our loved ones globally.
Additional Resource
These are just some of the things for you to think about. In this article in Brides, you will find many more answers to questions that they’ve received from couples everywhere.
So to recap, take a deep breath and regroup. You got this! So now you decide whether you postpone, have a virtual wedding, keep your original date but with a much smaller group, or ELOPE! How could I forget that one…fun!
So you may have a little longer engagement than planned, some things are just out of our control and we have to accept that. The advice that I can give couples impacted by the Coronavirus is to give each other the time to vent and above all, make sure to give yourself the time to let your emotions out. The frustration is there and it’s more important that you continue your positive journey as a couple. This will be a story to pass down for generations and believe me one of many obstacles and challenges that you will have to face together.
Always a Silver Lining
It may not seem like there’s a silver lining in all of this but this will strengthen you as a couple or at least serve as a test for the two of you in communication, partnership, teamwork, respect and overall love.
Engaged couples having to deal with the stress of rescheduling their wedding during this pandemic may realize they don’t work well together under stressful conditions. This test may weed out those couples that realize they don’t belong together…sorry had to keep it real.
Remember, if the two of you work together, you WILL get married, now it’s just a matter of when.
Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Would love for you to comment or share your thoughts below on how you’ve dealt with this situation or advice you could give to other engaged couples during this time.
As always, Do What You Love and Love What You Do.
