How to postpone your wedding

During these insane, unprecedented times we are doing our best to offer free advice to brides and grooms to assist them. We know your number one stress right now is "how the hell do I postpone my wedding?" We have streamlined it here for you in the hopes that it adds a tiny sense of calm to such an uneasy time. Our heart goes out to all of you who are supposed to be getting married in these next few months.

F I R S T O F F

Take a deep breath. Remember that the entire world is going through this horrifying experience, and you are not alone. We are in this together. If you are getting married at the end of May or June, you should begin to implement a Plan B. This does not necessarily mean you have to postpone, it will just be your Plan B if it comes to that. Plan B will give you a sense of calm and peace of mind. My most important advice for you is, DO NOT CANCEL, Postpone! You will lose all of your deposits if you cancel and you will lose the opportunity for an incredible day and endless memories. If you feel like this is too overwhelming, consider hiring a planner. We are happy to assist you and do our due diligence, especially during a crisis like this.

S T E P O N E

Contact your venue. Ask them for three dates that they have available. Forget about Saturdays. Consider ANY other day of the week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sundays. Consider them all. If you pick a weekday, this process is going to be much more seamless and much less stressful because there is a high chance that your vendors will have availability. If you feel uncertain about your guests coming to your wedding because they might not feel comfortable leaving their home by Mid May, they will certainly appreciate you rescheduling and be happy to take the day off work for your wedding.

S T E P T W O

Email all of your vendors and give them those three date options from your venue and ask them if they're available. Also, ask them what their postponement policies are. Most people think they should look at their vendor contracts to find out what penalties a postponement may incur. However, disregard them for now and just ask them what their implemented policies are. These are extraordinary times and your vendors are here to help you and most are making exceptions for postponements. They were hired to be YOUR team and they are there to continue to act as a team and help you. HINT: You can generate a poll using Doodle.com with the three date options and email them to your vendors for an easy seamless process.

When you are emailing your vendors, ask them when they need an answer by. Your caterer and florist are most likely the two vendors who will take action and place their orders first. They will likely place those orders a 3-6 weeks before your wedding (everyone is different.) If you can catch them before they place the order, it could save you a TON of money. They will likely tell you they need an answer as to if you're postponing or not roughly 30 days prior to the wedding date.

S T E P T H R E E

Circle back. Once you get a date that works for everyone, ask your vendors to place a soft hold on the new date. A soft hold is a date that is not on an official hold, but if your vendors receive another inquiry for that date, they will notify you to give you a warning that they have a potential client and that will nudge you to make a decision.

S T E P F O U R

Use your wedding website. Wedding websites are more important than ever now! They are there to be a communication tool between you and your guests. When they ask you for updates, let them know they can refer to the website and that you will be updating it as often as possible with information.

O T H E R A D V I C E :

If you're concerned about postponing, order your invites but leave the date blank so you can write it in. Design your invites but wait to place the order. If you already ordered your invitations, add a printed insert that says "please go on our wedding website for date and detail updates." Get Event insurance: BOTH liability and Cancellation. These will not cover COVID-19 but they will cover other problems (you never know what could happen!) You insure your home, your health, your dogs and your car- why should this be any different?