Thinking of Postponing Your Wedding…
Or going virtual?
As an event planner, the most relevant question right now is how to adjust your timeline for an event during the pandemic. Whether you choose to postpone or create a virtual experience, people need something to look forward to and a reason to celebrate. Milestones will still happen and when they do, here is some advice.
CONSULT
YOUR TEAM
Communicate with your venue and vendors immediately. If you have a planner, now is the time to lean on them even more. Review your contracts and look for the verbiage “Force Majeure”, “Act of G-d”, or “Unforeseen Circumstances”. This will let you know the specific policy as it applies to payments and cancellation. Keep in mind, your venue and vendors are navigating through this difficult situation too.
RESCHEDULING OR GOING VIRTUAL
According to a April 2020 survey of more than 2,000 U.S. couples by The Knot, among couples whose weddings are impacted by the spread of COVID-19, 93% are postponing and only 7% are cancelling outright. Many vendors are working with clients to find a new event date and waiving rescheduling fees. As dates fill up, consider choosing a less-traditional day of the week. Ask your vendors if you can get a lower rate for a mid-week event. Vendors often have different pricing for less-popular dates.
LET YOUR GUESTS KNOW
This is where going digital is recommended. It is the fastest and most efficient way to let your guests know about the new date. As soon as you’ve secured a new date, share that in a personal email or electronic evite. Try to design something consistent with your original invite and include as much information as you can - flights, accommodations, etc.
CELEBRATE YOUR
ORIGINAL DATE
Friends of mine felt keeping their original date was most important and we decided to create an intimate zoom wedding. Others decided to postpone until 2021, yet on the original wedding date, they had decided to look at all the photos of their courtship and share gratitudes for each year they were together. A small ritual to acknowledge the date can mean a lot. Reach out to me if you want to co-create your personal ritual.