Brides and grooms across the world are making the difficult decision to reschedule their wedding as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Once you come to this agreement, the question is where to begin? Keep reading for a list of steps you should take if you are faced with having to reschedule your wedding.
Make a Game Plan
The decision to reschedule your wedding was incredibly difficult but the right choice. It is in the best interest of your loved one’s health and safety. This being said, it doesn’t make the decision any less frustrating. It is understandable and you are allowed to feel disappointed. Allow yourself and your fiance time to grieve and relax before jumping into the process of rescheduling.
Prior to making any phone calls, you and your fiance will need to sit down and discuss potential changes. First, check the policies put in place by your local government to determine at what point it is safe and appropriate to host a large gathering. Keep this in mind when you select a new wedding date. From here you can discuss any other shifts. This may be from decorations, a new venue or vendors, to overnight accommodations and travel arrangements, and so on.
Contact Your Vendors
If you have a planner they should be the first call you make, to get them on board and up to date with the shift that has to happen. They will be able to help you or take over, calling the venue and vendors to discuss rescheduling their services. This includes discussing the details of the contract if it comes into play for monetary reasons. If the previous venue or vendors are unavailable, they will be also able to contact the alternatives that you and your fiance agreed on.
In the event that you do not have a wedding planner, you will have to contact all of your vendors yourself. As your need to reschedule is urgent, make this clear in any email subject lines or at the beginning of a voicemail. Unless it is specified in the contract you signed that you will get a full refund, do not expect one. Just because a vendor has not yet completed your service, does not mean their time and resources have not been used. If possible, reschedule with them or come to an agreement on a partial refund so that you can book with a different vendor.
Notify Your Guests
As soon as possible, it is important that you notify your guests. The earlier the better as it will be less likely that they will encounter issues getting refunds on any travel bookings or overnight accommodations. You should also update any and all of your wedding websites. Note however that in rescheduling your wedding, some guests may not be available to attend. This is a reality of the circumstance that you should be prepared to face, albeit it won’t be easy.
Start Planning
While there seem to be an overwhelming amount of downsides to rescheduling your wedding there is one upside. You get to essentially plan a second wedding. You also have the chance to correct any decisions that you weren’t completely sure of. This might be something as large as the venue or as simple as the colour palette. No matter, try to look on the bright side throughout this tedious process.
While we know that these steps won’t alleviate all of the stress that comes with having to reschedule your wedding, we hope that it will make the journey a little bit easier.
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