This week has been a series of unprecedented events in the US, and with the newly imposed restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 people (for 8 weeks), our team has been busy helping Alliey + Co brides reschedule spring weddings. Are you in the same boat and not sure where to go from here? Alliey gives her best advice below on where to start and how to navigate last minute changes to your big day.
Talk to your venue.
Before you do anything else, call your wedding venue (+ your ceremony venue if you are having things take place at separate locations) and ask them what your options are. More than likely, they are going to allow you to transfer any paid deposit toward a new date. Talk with them first and see what you are required to do, and then get a full listing of their open dates for the rest of the year.
Call you vendor team.
The next thing that you need to do is talk to your other vendors. Before you do this, though, you should decide which vendors are non-negotiable to you. In other words, which of your vendors do you refuse to lose? Any time you have to think about rescheduling an event, you should go into the process knowing that you may lose a vendor or two in that process. Think about which people you for sure want to work with, and check their open dates first.
Start a spreadsheet with open dates for your vendor team and try to match them up with your venue. Keep in mind that picking a Friday or Sunday date for your wedding will allow you to work with more of your vendors, thus allowing you to take advantage of more non-refundable deposits you’ve already made.
Photo: Erin Jean Photography
Communicate your new date.
Once you have a new date picked, make sure to communicate that as quickly as possible to guests. One of the easiest ways to do this is to create a wedding website and email that link to as many guests as possible. It may also be necessary to print save the dates with your new wedding date and location details for those who don’t have email. If you’ve already sent out invites, consider an online RSVP system, so you can get a new count for guests attending your new date.
Take a breath!
Remember, there is a solution to this. While it’s terrible to have to reschedule such a monumental day due to something unforeseen like COVID-19, all of us in the wedding industry are here to help you. We want to make sure that you have the best day ever, even if that has to take place a few months later than you originally expected!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, please reach out to our team! We’re on social media all day answering your questions, so drop your questions and we will do our best to help you.
