We’re living in an unusual, stressful and historic time. The coronavirus is currently a global crisis that is affecting every person, industry and country in one way or another. Today (on March 15th), the CDC announced that all weddings should be cancelled or postponed for eight weeks, bringing us to May 10th. Although updates are changing almost daily, that timeframe will likely extend beyond the middle of May. Any couple getting married in the next few months should consider what to do if the coronavirus affects their particular wedding date.
Engaged couples, here are five things to do if you’re concerned your wedding may be affected by the coronavirus.
Stay Informed (But Not Overwhelmed)
Stay up to date with the latest information regarding the coronavirus by following the CDC’s website as well as your local government pages. It’s important to have access to current, accurate information from trusted and reliable news sources. However, it’s also important to not overindulge or be so immersed in reports that you feel panicked. Stay informed but have a balance.
Check/Get Wedding Insurance
If you currently have wedding insurance, contact your insurance company to see what your policy covers and what your options are. If you don’t have wedding insurance, please note it will not help to get it now for your current wedding date. However, I highly recommend getting wedding insurance if you have to postpone your wedding to a new date.
Read Your Venue & Vendor Contracts
Reread all the contracts you’ve signed with your venue and vendors to see what their postponement and cancellation policies are as well as their non-refundable and refundable payment clauses. As a wedding planner, I strongly suggest postponing your wedding versus cancelling it entirely—it is a financial burden either way, but you will, in most circumstances, save more money if you postpone than cancel.
Talk To A Wedding Professional
If you have a wedding planner you’re working with, this is the first person to talk to. If not, talk to your venue coordinator. They will give professional advice and feedback on what to do. If you do need to postpone your wedding, ask your venue for a few open dates in the near future if possible.
Let Guests Know
Once you’ve officially decided to change your wedding date, let your guests know ASAP. Even if you don’t have a new wedding date in mind, send a mass email or text saying the wedding has been postponed and the new date is TBD. If you’ve already printed invitations but haven’t sent them out yet, contact your stationer to see if they can create an insert for you about the postponement so your beautiful invites don’t go to waste and can still be sent out. It’s a bummer to have to consider postponing or cancelling your wedding, but the circumstances are unusual, extreme and out of your control. Your wedding day might not look the way you first envisioned it, but important to remain calm and do what you can to get your wedding in order. Remember your wedding is one day, but your marriage is a lifetime.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Great write up and very informative. Lots of great information. Thanks PB!
I appreciate your thoughtful information and education, Maya!
Very good information and advice. Thanks PB.