How to Postpone or Cancel Your Wedding Plans

On March 15th, the CDC officially announced the recommendation that all festivities over 50 people be canceled or postponed. With the trajectory of this pandemic, we are seeing couples make changes to their wedding date as far as through June.

If your wedding was slated for March/April/May, chances are you’ve already had to make changes to your plans for your big day — in some cases, having to call it off altogether.⁣ Those of you who were planning on getting married in the later spring months are probably dealing with the ongoing⁣ uncertainty and are unsure of what to do. Our hearts go out to everyone whose plans have been affected by COVID-19. These are uncharted waters, and it’s going to take an extra measure of grace from all of us to get through this together. Luckily, the wedding industry is known for supporting our clients well and thriving through challenges with creative solutions. We have hope and confidence that even as your wedding plans get delayed, with the right support and planning, you will still get to live out your dream wedding at a later date! Navigating a cancellation or postponement can be tricky, so we’ve listed five tips for how to move through this process as smoothly as possible.

Consult With Your Planner

First and foremost, if you have a wedding planner, you should get them on the phone as soon as you possibly can. They can help you sort through vendor agreements and discuss whether you are looking at cancellation or postponement. Even if you are planning the wedding yourself, you should still talk to a professional — whether that’s your venue holder, a caterer, a lawyer, or anyone that can act as a reliable sounding board for ideas on how to go about your wedding plans.

Reread Contracts and Discuss With Vendors

Photography by Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Whether you have a wedding planner or not, you should talk to your vendor team and get a better idea of what your options are. Review your contracts before reaching out — different vendors have different clauses on cancellations and changes, and it is best to know what you’ve agreed upon before entering into a conversation. That said, these are unprecedented times, and all the vendors we know are doing their best to be reasonable and accommodating with changes. Once you’ve reviewed your contracts, start an email exchange or call your vendors personally, starting with your venue, to discuss what a plan B might look like for you. Whether it is rescheduling, reformatting, or canceling, lean on your team of vendors and consider their professional recommendations. If you are postponing to a later date, make sure to ask for a new contract reflecting your new dates and any additional costs or clauses!

Notify Your Guests

The second you know that you will be canceling or postponing your wedding, send out an email, text, or call all of your guests to let them know! If you already have a new date set, you can simply include that in your postponement notification and update your wedding website accordingly. If locking down a new date is taking too long, notify your guests about the change to come, and let them know to expect a new invitation once you have a chance to get your plans together.

Photography by Fabiana Skubic Photography

Rethink Dates and Details

With changes comes, well, more changes. If you have to postpone your event, be prepared that some details of your big day might have to look differently than planned and require some re-planning. Florals are the most affected by date changes because flowers that are available in the spring might not be in the fall. If you’re having an outdoor ceremony, you might have to make alternative plans depending on the weather. You should also anticipate that not all vendors you’ve booked are guaranteed to be available on your changed date, so be ready to make a few extra phone calls to secure new vendors!

Be Understanding & Stay informed

We know it can be disheartening to have to cancel or postpone your wedding but remember to be understanding and compassionate when dealing with vendors. If they have a strict non-refundable deposit or aren’t able to accommodate you with a new date that works for you, try to remember that most wedding vendors are small businesses that are also being affected by the virus and didn’t expect to lose months of business. They will surely be ready to assist you in any way when it comes to finding other vendors or refunding as much of your money as they are able.

With the ever-changing nature of this pandemic, stay up to date with the latest development and recommendations via trustworthy news sources and make informed decisions based on how that changes things for your specific case!

did we say breathe?

Yes, breathe.

It is scientifically proven that deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and enables your body to calm down and reduce stress levels. So, even when things might seem like it’s all getting out of control, you’re having to spend more money, and the to-do list is ever-growing, take a deep breath and remember that your wedding may turn out differently than you planned, but your connection with your partner hasn’t changed, and that’s the most important aspect of your nuptials!

We’re all moving through this difficult time together, so share this with a bride that could benefit from these tips. Need some accessories to complete your bridal look and complement a wedding gown you may already have? Browse our collection that includes bow hairpieces and veils.

Shop Our Collection

Other Topics You May Be Interested In