Postponing your wedding is probably one of the most frustrating and disappointing decisions you will ever have to make and it’s unfortunate how many couples are having to make this decision. As an engaged wedding planner, I’m able to sympathize with couples who have had to postpone as I had to postpone my own wedding in the Florida Keys. I was more concerned about hurricanes, than a world-wide pandemic. If someone had told me back in March of 2020 that my own wedding would be affected by COVID-19, I would have never believed them.
Deciding to postpone your wedding is not an easy decision, and I understand with wanting to hold out for as long as possible. But in saying that, I recommend that all couples deciding to postpone their wedding, make this decision at least 2 months in advance. In my case, our original wedding date was scheduled for June 20th, 2020. My fiancé and I waited to make our final decision after Easter, which gave us a little over two months to reschedule everything.
Rescheduling your wedding can be overwhelming, especially if you decide to do it yourself. As I’ve just postponed my own wedding, I figured I could help others doing the same. Before you do anything though, sit down with your partner and figure out when would be a good time to reschedule.
Postpone your wedding in 5 steps
Tell Your Planner / Hire a Planner
If you already have a planner, great! Your planner should be the first person you tell you’re postponing your wedding. Discuss with them their availability for the time you’re thinking of rescheduling. Your planner will contact your venue and vendors about your change of date. If you don’t have a planner, maybe consider getting one. Rescheduling your wedding can be an emotional and stressful process and when considering everything else that’s going on, you’ll appreciate the extra help.
Review All Your Contracts
Whether you have a planner or not, the first thing you should do is review all your contracts. Figure out what the policies on postponing your wedding are. Also note the due date for any upcoming deposits. You will want to notify the venue and/or vendors about rescheduling your event before those are due. Once you reschedule your event the due dates for your remaining deposits will change. Before signing any revised contracts, make sure to review all of the updated clauses.
Contact Your Venue About Postponing
Suggest to your venue the month or date you’re considering changing to and see what they have available. You may have to be flexible when choosing a new date as a lot of couples are in the same position as you are. If there are no weekend dates available, such as Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, you may have to consider having your wedding on a weeknight such as Mondays or Thursdays. Have your venue put a hold on your new date as you will need to see if your vendors are also available.
Contact Your Vendors About Postponing
Once you’ve decided on a new date with your venue, your planner will contact the rest of your vendor team. If you’re lucky, all your vendors will be available, but if not, your planner will be able to suggest some new vendors to you. If you don’t have a planner ask the vendor who is unable to reschedule if they have any recommendations. You may also want to consider looking into another date if the majority of your vendors aren’t available for the new date you requested. Don’t forget to also reschedule any fittings you may have.
Announce the Change of Date
Once you’ve finalized everything with your planner, venue and vendors, announce the change of date to your guests. Your guests will need to be informed well in advance, especially if they are coming from out of town. Papier June has a beautiful downloadable PDF you can email to your guests about the change. For one you can send in the mail, check out Jes Married for an editable PDF you can have printed. Also contact a local stationery artist to see if they’re offering any discounts on change the dates or new wedding invitations.
Commitment Ceremony
Just because you’ve had to postpone your wedding doesn’t mean you should forget about your original wedding date all together. Still honour your original date by having a commitment ceremony at home. Either do it in person or virtually on a ZOOM call with closest family and friends. Recite your vows to one another and have your first dance together. Have champagne handy for any toasts and order a mini wedding cake. No matter what, make the day special, as it will always have a special place in your hearts.
Look to the Future
Good luck to all the couples that are having to postpone their wedding. These five tasks will help keep you organized throughout the whole rescheduling process. The hardest part about postponing your wedding, is accepting the fact that’s it not going to happen on the date you originally planned. Your wedding will still happen though, and it will be better than originally planned, just a little later than expected. In the meantime, stay safe and if you’re located in Toronto and need help postponing your wedding, feel free to send us a hello. We would love to help you!