The world is going through a time unlike anything we have seen before and drastic measures are being taken to slow down COVID-19. This is taking place as we are coming into the 2020 wedding season and many couples are trying to figure out what to do about their wedding plans. Do they keep their wedding plans as is, or do they delay them, how far out do you need to delay, and can I get married this year if I just got engaged?
While I don’t have the right answer, here are some points to think about as you consider your options.
There is Not a Right Decision
There is not going to be one answer for everyone on what they should do about their wedding plans. The situation is changing every day as the world learns more about the virus and how it is spreading, how it needs to be contained, and if/when will there be a cure. At some point, you have to make the decision that will be the best for you, your family, your friends, and the vendors.
Those who have a wedding earlier in 2020 have to make their decision earlier, while those who are later in 2020 will have more time. The longer you wait, the more we will also know about the virus and the government restriction on large group gatherings. However, later is not always better as I’ll point out later in the article.
The world is learning more every day and will hopefully get us back to some state of “normal” fairly soon. Until then, you need to weigh all the information you have and think about your situation to make the best decision you can.
Vendors are Trying to Help
You booked a venue, a photographer, a caterer, and probably several other vendors, many of which require deposits, and now you might have to move your wedding date. The good news is, many of these vendors understand and are willing to work with you. Their business has been completely disrupted as well and are trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Due to potentially losing 1-2 months of the wedding season, and maybe more, vendors are trying not to lose any of their clients.
This means you should contact your vendors and see how they can help. Many of them will work with you to simply reschedule to your new wedding day if you chose to reschedule. I, as a wedding photographer, am offering my clients to reschedule (due to COVID-19) their wedding dates without any hassle. If I am unavailable for their new wedding date, I am refunding as much of their deposit as possible. I have had one wedding cancel due to financial reasons, and two weddings reschedule to new dates. While I cannot guarantee that every vendor will do the same, it doesn’t hurt to ask what is possible.
Sooner May Be Better
While you may want to wait until the last possible moment to reschedule your wedding, you may not want to do so, especially if you are later in the year. If you think of all the weddings that are being postponed, plus you add all of the new couples who will want to get married, it is going to be difficult to find dates towards the end of 2020 and all through 2021.
This means, if you wait until later in 2020 to reschedule, you might not be able to rebook your current vendors as they will have more conflicts, and you will have a harder time finding new ones. September 2020 seems to be a popular time to reschedule currently, but there are only so many dates available. Some vendors may also increase their prices due to the increased demand.
Therefore, waiting to reschedule your wedding may actually hurt you and make it harder to reschedule your wedding. Making the decision as soon as you can give you more flexibility, lock in current rates, and give your family and friends the most amount of time to change their plans.
