What to Do When Your Wedding Is Rescheduled

by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing Consultant

Summer weddings conjure images of sprawling marquees, celebrating with a glass of champagne in the sun, with children playing and running around on the grass. However, 2020 has proven to be a tough year for couples who’d planned to tie the knot. As the wedding industry is largely focused around travel and large gatherings, many couples around the world are sadly being forced to reschedule their weddings due to Covid-19. Although we should of course look after ours and our loves ones’ health, it’s certainly a disappointing time.

According to wedding planning app Bridebook, around 64 per cent of 2020 weddings have been affected by Covid-19 and lockdown so far, with postponements, cancellations, and travel costing a loss of £87.5 billion to the global wedding industry.

Here, we’ll take a look at what to do when a wedding is rescheduled and what to expect at a social distanced wedding in the future.

Contact your insurance provider

First things first, get in contact with your insurance company if you took insurance out on your wedding to check that your situation won’t invalidate your policy. They’ll be able to provide some insight for you to make the best decision.

Venues and vendors

Secondly, you need to reschedule your wedding to another date — your venue should be your first port of call. If your venue will allow rescheduling, ask them to hold a date while you confirm with your suppliers. When making queries, check that rescheduling won’t be classed as a cancellation. Due to it being an unprecedented time, many vendors are suffering too and want to work closely with couples so are being flexible in terms of rescheduling at no additional cost. However, do plan for additional costs in the event that fees change based on the season.

Check your new provisional date with your most important guests. It would be frustrating if you rescheduled your wedding and had to reschedule again because your best friend or close family member can’t make it!

The right venue and the right season

Take into consideration whether the venue is right for the season the new date is in — your guests may be chilly if your outdoor wedding has been moved to winter, however an outdoor wedding might be more appealing given the current climate and Covid-19. Consider if the new date works for the plans you had in mind and be sure to inform all of your guests as soon as you’ve planned a new date. This will allow them to take time off work and make necessary arrangements.

For example, if a summer wedding has been postponed to winter, you and your guests may need to rethink their outfits. Linen and cotton are the ideal materials to have for a suit in the summer as it is the most breathable and lightweight material, however if you’re now having or going to a winter wedding, you might need to rethink and consider a snappy tweed suit and tweed waistcoat to keep you warm and insulated.

Look on the bright side — as a guest, you have more time to save up for that dress of your dreams you spotted while browsing online…

Perk yourself up

As for the bride and groom, think of this extra time as a blessing and use it to make your day even more special. For example, you could research online for wedding inspiration and create your own decorations. Or, you could shop for cute additions to reflect your relationship, be it a rustic bohemian blanket aisle for the quirky couples, or your own DIY floral centrepieces that you spotted on Pinterest. This will add a personal touch to your wedding celebrations that you wouldn’t have usually had, and if you make them yourself, you can improve your wedding aesthetic without spending loads of money. A win-win!

· Contact your insurance provider to check that your situation won’t invalidate your policy.

· Arrange a new date with your venue and suppliers. Check this date is free for your priority guests.

· Assess if current wedding plans are appropriate for the new date or if any amendments need to be made.

· Use this time to create new unique decorations for your wedding.

An important note: social distancing in the future

We’re under no illusion that things will not instantly go back to normal when restrictions are eased. Covid-19 could make weddings smaller and low-key for years, especially with how easily they can be adapted to whatever restrictions might be in place in a year. Large indoors weddings may not be possible until a vaccine has been developed, rows may likely be spread further apart and families — or households — will be seated together, and suppliers’ abilities will likely be impacted too. For example, make-up artists will need to drape each client with a clean cape while wearing personal protective equipment themselves and changing between clients.

Simon Daukes, owner of the Ash Barton Estate, said: “Everyone has been offered a full range of no cost options and nobody will be asked for more than the 2021/2 rate-card figures. Alongside this, every single booking also has the option to revert back to their original dates at zero notice should the situation improve in the forthcoming months.

Although it’s an uncertain and stressful time, remember that the most important thing about the wedding is the ceremony. Everything else is just details!