Dates were saved, vendors were booked, wedding countdowns had began – and then the coronavirus hit. This pandemic has certainly uprooted many facets of our lives. So, the big question most couples have in the midst of this global pandemic is what do I do about my wedding– Cancel or Postpone? Here are 5 Reasons To Postpone Your Wedding instead of Cancelling.
Here are 5 Reasons To Postpone Your Wedding:
NUMBER ONE: It is a Once in a Lifetime Event
You only get one chance to have a big wedding–the kind you dreamed about since you were a little girl. Take it from someone who didn’t have a big, elaborate wedding… I will never get to go back and live out those childhood dreams.
NUMBER TWO: Everybody Wants to Celebrate with You
Postpone your wedding because, at the end of the day, all involved parties (your family, your friends, and your wedding vendors) want to see you say “I do,” whether it be two months or 12 months from now. And believe me, people are tired of being isolated, so a wedding gives them something to celebrate — it will be the perfect way to lift up their spirits.
NUMBER THREE: Your Wedding Isn’t Just For You
If you are like me, you want your WHOLE family there to celebrate with you. If you want to get married, that is fine! Go get married! It will likely be just you and your fiancé since many businesses are forced to close their doors or must limit the amount of people gathered. But when the dust settles (and it WILL settle), still go through with your wedding so that your family can have memories of this special day with you.
Let your mom button up your dress. Give your grandma a chance to give you a special heirloom and tell you how much she loves you. Allow your dad give you away. Guys, I have been a part of many weddings, and I can tell you… these moments are not only important to you, they are also important to the people in your life who love you so much.
Most wedding vendors are allowing complimentary date changes. Personally, I am allowing date changes through 2021 so that if one of my spring brides wants a spring wedding, she can still have it.
NUMBER FOUR: Your Vendors Need You Too
That’s right — most of your wedding vendors are small businesses, and this has been hard on them too. These are unprecedented times for EVERYONE. Your vendors WANT to do everything they can to make sure your wedding still happens! They WANT it to be a magical experience for you to remember for years to come. I have been really encouraging my clients to postpone because we’re all in this together. That means doing things I normally don’t do because I want to help my couples. For example, I usually limit myself to two weddings per weekend. However, due to COVID-19, I’ve been allowing couples to book weekends that had previously capped or been reserved for downtime. I assure you, your vendors are doing everything imaginable to try an accommodate your new wedding plans.
When cancellations happen, that means those vendors don’t have the income they anticipated to to pay their bills, contractors and/or put food on the table. Within a year, vendors can anticipate that maybe 0-2 weddings might be cancelled, which by itself wouldn’t be the end of the world. However, with this pandemic, those numbers could increase quite a bit — spelling real trouble for your vendors.
You’ve seen all over social media to support small businesses because they are going to be the hardest hit. Postponing your wedding is one way you can do that.
NUMBER FIVE: You’ve Invested So Much Time and Resources Already
The key is to focus on postponements and rescheduling rather than cancellations to avoid losing retainers. As event service providers, many require retainer fees to hold a date. Once I have a couple pay their retainer, I secure that date for them. Other couples that want to book on that date are turned away. This protects vendors from losing income if for any reason the wedding doesn’t happen. Most of my couples are postponing — and that’s the way to go because their retainers will apply for their future events.
I hope you found this article on 5 Reasons To Postpone Your Wedding helpful. I know these are uncertain times. We will work together to make it better!
These images are from a recent wedding I did with my friend, Jessica Ross Photography . Want more wedding advice? See this blog post on Why you should hire a second photographer!
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