Are you planning a wedding or soon to be married? Recent events regarding the coronavirus are surely influencing your wedding plans, especially if the wedding date is in the next few months. Take heart, couples! Although the coronavirus may be new, addressing the unexpected is not new to the world of wedding planning, and we’re here to help you do a little extra planning.
If you feel a little panic, that’s okay. Remember the precautions we’re seeing across the United States are happening in order to keep the vast majority of people safe. However, it’s important we all do our part to help. Please regularly check updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Wedding planning is stressful let alone planning during a time like this but it’s 100% doable with a little extra planning and preparing. Here is some general planning advice to help you along the way. Remember, friends. You got this!
Expect Delays
Get ahead of possible frustration by checking on any major purchases like attire, flowers, dinner menu, etc. Anything being shipped from overseas is subject to delays if it’s coming from a country affected by a coronavirus outbreak. You may even experience delays within the U.S. as more regions are affected. If you catch these issues early enough, you can likely adjust your plans to accommodate!
Check Contracts
Check your contracts with vendors and see what the cancellation policies are, and check on what kind of modifications are possible. This will give you an idea of your options and where financial impact could be felt. The chances of having to postpone your wedding all together are low but some couples may prefer it in order to enjoy the celebration to its fullest. Either way, you will want to check in with vendors.
Reduce the Guest List
You can do this in a number of ways. You can tell anyone who has to travel long distances that you are choosing to limit the celebration to local guests only, in light of recent events. You can also consider having a small, intimate wedding with just family and close friends; then send out wedding announcements to everyone else. No matter what you do, technology can be a big help! Stream your wedding ceremony for anyone who can’t make it but wants to share in the joy of your vows.
Rethink the Format
Some cities are limiting the amount of people that can gather in one place. So things like sporting events and concerts are being canceled. If you have a guest count that exceeds the limit for your city (250 for some cities), see if you can work with your venue to split your guest count into two groups. (Wording Idea: We want to celebrate with everyone on our special day, but since we are limited to 250 guests in the reception hall, we are asking that: [Group 1] you have dinner with us from 5-8pm on our wedding day. [Group 2] you join us for cake and dancing from 8-11pm.)
Postponement Is an Option
Postponements can happen for a variety of reasons but most often they are a reaction to natural disasters such as hurricanes or flooding, and sometimes they are considered if there has been a death in the family. If you don’t want your wedding to be inhibited by the coronavirus, you can postpone and send out announcements with the new date. This is a really great option if your vendors are willing to work with you on rescheduling.
Most importantly, don’t be discouraged! Your wedding will happen, and it will be beautiful. You might even find that the day is that much more meaningful because you’ll be focused on what really matters: the vows you’re about to make to each other, and sharing that joy with the people you love most. Today’s couples are resourceful, and will find ways to make these things happen despite current events. In this, we are confident!
