20 Mar Tips on Rescheduling Your Wedding Due to COVID-19

Does your wedding need to be rescheduled due to COVID-19? If so, my heart goes out to you during this difficult time. This is not going to be easy for you. You will find that everyone in the industry wants to make your special day happen, new date and all. They will jump through hoops to help you get the wedding that you have been dreaming of. If you definitely have to reschedule your wedding date, here are some tips for you:

1. Review your venue contract. Understand their policy and terms with regards to rescheduling, deposits made and future payments. Then contact your venue to discuss all the options available to you.
2. Consider all possible date options if you still want to marry in 2020. While Saturdays are the most desirable, those dates are booked out the farthest in advance so you will have the fewest options available to you.
3. Talk to your vendor team, see what future dates each vendor is available. Try to line up the dates with your venue’s availability to keep as many of your team members on board as possible. While a Thursday or Friday wedding may not be your first choice, think about how much effort and energy went into selecting each of your vendors the first time, and how much time and money you will save by keeping your original team. Guests will be incredibly understanding, this is unprecedented times in which you are planning a wedding. Most will move heaven and earth to make it to your rescheduled date. Everyone will be looking forward to a reason to celebrate!
4. Have parents that live overseas? Guests traveling from all over the world? Think about pushing your wedding out to 2021. You can likely find a Saturday date and you have an extra 10-12 months to save! This strategy may also help keep your vendor team in tact.
5. Look at the NEW local calendar. Make sure you know what local events are scheduled around your new potential wedding date. Is it the new Boston Marathon date, a rescheduled college graduation, the Head of the Charles, the Topsfield Fair, move in date for Boston colleges? Just be aware so you know what challenges may surround the date you end up selecting.
6. Find out what set up and breakdown times at your venue will be around your new date. This could impact your lighting company, florist, rentals, etc. The new times could be better or worse, but either way, everyone will need to prepare.
7. Coordinate with your cake designer and your florist to be able to deliver and maybe set up at times that work for them so that they can still provide what you were planning for even if they have another wedding or two on your rescheduled date.
8. Is your photographer or videographer unavailable on your new date? Talk to them about their assistant or second shooter. If they have a second shooter that has been working with them for a long time and that person is available, have them shoot your wedding and have the lead photographer/videographer edit the photos and video and create the final album and films. This way you will still get the end product you originally hoped for.
9. If your officiant is booked for your rescheduled date and time, consider a change in your ceremony start time so the officiant can work two weddings that day and will not have to miss yours. Is your ceremony on site? You could even start with your cocktail hour, move on to your ceremony and then follow with your reception. Your guests are going to be with you for the whole event regardless.
10. Speak with your vendors directly via phone or video. Emails are very efficient, but a phone call will be invaluable. They will want to help you as much as they can. Have a conversation with them, they will be able to offer you support and guidance. Through this process, you will deepen your relationship with each of your vendors.
11. Take a deep breathe and don’t panic. Call your wedding planner, sister, maid of honor, brother, best man, mother, father, in-laws – you are surrounded by people that love and care about you. Let these people help you. Give them a task to do for you, bounce ideas off of them, have them talk you down. This is your wedding and it WILL be special, no matter where, when or how you end up celebrating. And if you don’t have anyone you can talk to, you can email me, alexis@weddingsbyalexis.com. I’ll do my best to offer advice and suggestions.