Wedding planning is notoriously arduous and labor-intensive, and that’s during normal circumstances. Right now, the whole world is engaged in a pandemic, and the CDC is recommending the cancellation or postponement of weddings through at least May 15, 2020. We know this is difficult to grapple with as a lot of time, energy, and money goes into planning a wedding weekend, but if your original wedding date falls between April and mid-May (or even during the summer), you should be familiar with the rescheduling process. We’ve come up with a checklist of sorts to help couples going through this stressful and heartbreaking time.

Talk to Your Wedding Planner

This might seem obvious, but if you have a wedding planner, reach out to him or her ASAP. Together, you can assess your financial losses and determine what can be salvaged.

Ask Your Insurance Company

Before you get in touch with your vendors, contact your insurance company and see if any part of your wedding is covered. (If you don’t have insurance, do not get it now; but get it for your next wedding date.)

Reach Out to Your Vendors

Re-read your vendor contracts. There might be clauses like the “Act of God” clause or force majeure that, depending on the phrasing, will allow for a refund. Regardless of the contracts, you need to talk to your vendors. Give them a call or send an email with a subject line that grabs their attention—whatever suits your current emotional state and your relationship with the vendor. Additionally, remember that this situation is stressful, confusing, and uncharted territory for everyone involved so try to be as patient and understanding as possible while also conveying what you’re hoping for.

Now Reach Out to Your Guests

Deep breath! You’ve got this. 

After that big cleansing breath, let your guests know that you are postponing the wedding. Traditional old-school etiquette recommends that you call your guests, but you don’t want to risk going to voicemail. Email is appropriate, and in this case, likely preferred. If you don’t know the new date, give your guests an estimation or ask what possible dates work for them. 

Contact Your Venue

See what their availability looks like. If you want to keep the venue, be open to having your wedding in the middle of the week. If the venue doesn’t have any availability until 2021, you may need to look into another location.

And Your Honeymoon?

You and your fiancé probably don’t want to go through with your honeymoon right now. Depending on your reservations and tickets, you might be able to reschedule your vacation or get your money back.

Brace Yourself for New Costs

You’ve already dealt with losing money on your original wedding date, but sadly, there could be more. If you’re rescheduling your wedding for a new quarter of the year, the prices of your original vendors might be higher. Decide if you want to keep these vendors or need to find new ones. 

Reach Out To Your Guests (Again)

Let your guests know about your new wedding date. Digital invitations are definitely permissible, given how much you spent on invitations the first time around.

Just think, when people say their wedding planning was stressful, you can quip, “Sure, but did you plan your wedding and then have to reschedule because of a global pandemic? Didn’t think so!”

In the midst of all this uncertainty, one thing is for certain—being with the person you love the most is more important now than ever, and COVID-19 brides and grooms will all have interesting matrimonial stories to tell their grandkids! In all seriousness though, we’re so sorry you’re having to deal with this—it’s not fair, and we know it’s not easy. If you ever need to talk about anything, our DMs are always open. Good luck and stay safe!