I know you are probably burned out on hearing about Coronavirus (I know I am), but I recently did an Instagram Live with one of my favorite wedding planners- Megan with Marmaros Productions! With all of the ideas shared on Insta, we wanted to make sure there was a place you still had access to the helpful information discussed.
Consider Postponing Over Canceling. There is a reason hashtags like #SaveEvents and #PostponeDontCancel are going around. Here are a few of those reasons:
– Vendors are struggling during this time both financially and emotionally. They would rather you postpone your wedding then cancel it altogether, not only for the money but also because they would love to be a part of your day – you are their livelihood!
– If you cancel, there’s a chance you will not be getting money back from vendors. Consider this before canceling altogether.
– Don’t cheat yourself of being celebrated like you deserve. You may be thinking, “I’m getting married on our wedding date regardless. We will just elope or have our immediate family there.” We really love this idea – and if we were in your shoes we would do the same thing. But why not also postpone your reception to when it is safe to have everyone you love around? Wear your dress twice! Use all the vendors you spent time and energy finding and booking. Then, everybody wins.
Rescheduling. This seems so scary, especially since no one has the answers to when this will be over. With all of the rumors and predictions, you may hear things as far away as 18 months away! So how do you decide when to move?
– Talk to your vendors! Even though they don’t have the answers, they do have the expertise. Vendors can guide you in the right direction on when to move and where to relocate. Most importantly, talk to your vendors who have perishable items that they are supplying for your wedding – think caterers, florists, & bakers. See how far in advance they order the supplies so you don’t get stuck footing the bill for items twice!
– Check your vendor’s contracts or call them up and ask them to walk through your contract with them to see what your options are. They would love to have this conversation with you to make sure you are both on the same page!
– Looking for a new date. You’ve been looking forward to your wedding day – you picked it for a reason and now you have to start thinking about your backup plan. Not cool!
– Here’s the reality: It will be difficult moving to a Saturday anytime between September through December because fall is already one of the busiest times for wedding vendors. You could risk losing vendors and money. We know that stinks, but that is the reality of the fall.
– The next best option would be Friday & Sunday in the fall, which are still weekend days and a great time for weddings! If those options are unavailable and you really want the fall, think about a weekday wedding as an alternative. The people who make it a priority to be at your wedding will attend no matter what day of the week!
– Another option would be moving your date to a whole year out from your original wedding date. Odds are you keep all of your vendors, and you don’t have to adjust your colors or thought process at all. It’s a long time to wait, but Audrey brought up in our Live that she has a bride who is going to elope and have a one year anniversary next year to celebrate! We love this! You can get creative!
– Finally, you can move to early 2021. This move gives you more flexibility with your vendors and venue since this is usually a slow period in the wedding industry – venues usually give discounts for these months so you might end up SAVING money and keeping all your vendors!
The best thing to know here is communication is key. It’s going to seem like a lot, but it’s so important to make sure everyone is on the same page.
1. Talk to your fiance & family. Figure out when the two of you feel comfortable moving to whether it is to the fall, early 2021, or an entire year out from your original date. Also, talk about “non-prime days.” Keep an open mind even though none of this is ideal. Make sure this date works for your immediate family!
2. Talk to your venue. Let them know you are thinking about postponing your wedding. Ask them when they are available for you to move to in your ideal time period. Pick three good dates you would feel comfortable moving to. Label them in an order.
1) New date #1
2) New date #2
3) New date #3
3. Talk to your planner. Reach out to your planner and let him or her know that you are looking to move. Send your three possible dates. Your planner will inform you of his or her available dates so that you can narrow them down before the planner takes them to any vendors. Your planner will reach out to your vendors to see who is able to remain booked for this new date (Keep in mind – you might lose a few vendors with the move, especially vendors that own the company themselves and don’t have another person on their team.).
4. Establish your new date. Once your planner gets back to you about vendors, let the venue know you would like to move to the new date. Figure out which vendors need you to sign a new contract for your new day. Several vendors are being understanding during this time, but some are attaching a fee to moving. Be prepared if they ask for more money to secure a new date.
5. Inform your guests. Now you can shout it from the rooftops! Social Media has been the best way to let your guests know you are changing your date and many companies like Greetings Island and The Spruce have come up with a free, editable, “Save our New Date” that you can post on your stories & timelines. Also, post it on your wedding website. Let friends who do not use social media know individually!
Virtual Tours & Planning. Everything is on Google Hangouts, Facetime, or Zoom now – including Venue Tours and Planning Meetings! If you recently got engaged or are wanting to switch venues from your original date, this can be a hard step in the wedding process. When taking a venue tour virtually, you have to envision yourself there! Try to imagine how you would set up the tables, where the dance floor would be. Ask to see full albums from past weddings & floor plans to get a feel for the full venue. Ask a ton of questions to make sure you see everything the venue has to offer. If you have a planner, ask them to be on the call too. With all of their experience, they will have questions you haven’t thought of that will make the decision easier!
When planning at home, it’s important to stay organized. Whether you are a paper person and keep everything in a binder or you’re digital and use Google Drive, keep all your documents in the same place. We have loved making an email just for wedding info! Ask your planners & other vendors if you are missing anything that needs to be done.
Keep an Open Mind. This is such a hard time and it isn’t easy. Just know that even if it’s a Thursday in October or Saturday in February, the only thing that matters is that you are married to the love of your life! Are we living in unprecedented times? Yes. Are we all unsure of when this will be over? Yes. Can we figure this out regardless? YES! This is stressful but you will hug your family again, you will hang out with your friends again, and you will be married! So in this time – enjoy working from home, enjoy the company of those who you are quarantined with, enjoy more time! And remember, you aren’t going through this alone!
Celebrate! When your original wedding date rolls around, have a celebration! Grab some steaks and grill out or order from your favorite local restaurant. Regardless – have a good bottle of wine or champagne and put on some real clothes and spend time together! This day will always be important to you! Celebrate your lives!
These are unprecedented times. When navigating this kind of wedding planning, there are no rules! There is no right or wrong. If you have any questions, we would love to help you figure out your best next steps.
You can reach out to Megan at: events@marmarosproducitons.com to set up a free time to talk!
And for any photo tips or advice, please reach out to me here.
We want to make this process as easy for you as possible! We may not know what the future holds, but we do know that where there is a will – there is a way! Love will prevail! And we will all get through this together! – Audrey
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