How to go about rescheduling your wedding

As much as I don’t wish this on anyone, sometimes it might happen and you see yourself forced to find a new wedding date. But how to go about rescheduling your wedding day? Whilst the reasons can be many, the below tips apply to every couple who needs some advice on how to tackle this challenging topic.

1. Don’t rush into your decision

Stay calm and focused, and ask yourself – is rescheduling really our only option at this stage? Listen to government advice and politely ask friends and family members to not fall into panic. Once you make the call to reschedule, you cannot go back. It can also be helpful to keep your favourite vendors (venue, planner, celebrant, photographer, …) in the loop and ask their opinion, as this gives more clarity about how hard or easy finding a new date might be.

It’s also important to understand what financial consequences your decision might have. The first thing you should do when considering a postponement, is reading back through all contracts you have signed with your vendors. Will they transfer your deposits to a new date? Or will the money be forfeited? How much notice do the vendors need?

2.. Inform your vendors

Whilst you might be a little disheartened by your decision, it is important to let your vendors know as soon as possible. This does not only help having everyone on the same page, but it can avoid having to pay further instalments or forfeiting deposits if notice is given too late. That way, your vendors have the chance to book someone else in for your day.

3. Inform your guests

After speaking to your vendors, don’t forget to let your guests know that a new wedding date is currently pending! Even if you don’t have a new date set yet, your guests might be making arrangements to travel to your location, taking time off work or hiring babysitters. Give them the heads up as soon as possible. If you decide to reschedule very close to your date, you might want to give your guests a personal phone call and inform them of your decision.

Can’t seem to find the right words? Check out this article for suggestions on all situations you might come across. It’s specifically tailored to all reschedules due to Covid-19, but you can just replace this with whatever your reason is!

4. List all available dates

Ask yourselves what other dates you can imagine to tie the knot at. If you have booked a venue, see what their availability looks like and try to list about 3-5 dates. Rather than locking in the next best thing, this gives you the chance to check in with your vendors and see what day most of them can do.

5. Consider a weekday

Weekends are looking pretty full? Unfortunately, this is something a lot of vendors and couples are facing heading into 2022. The last years with multiple lockdowns due to Covid have resulted in a massive backlog of weddings, especially in Victoria. Whilst the wait for a weekend might be months, lots of vendors still have plenty of weekdays available. Most people have saved up a lot of annual leave too, so I’m sure your guests won’t mind to take a day off and celebrate your love!

6. Check with your vendors

We most definitely want to make your day amazing and are here to help! The wedding industry has been hit hard by the lockdowns in recent years, so it is very appreciated if you think of us while making your new plans. Rather than messaging each individual vendor, you can use an online scheduling tool like Doodle. Alternatively, you can create an Excel spreadsheet with colour codes (red = not available, orange = pending, green = available) and share it with all vendors in Google drive. This makes it so much faster to compare everyone’s availability and find a date that works for most.

7. Make it official

Found a date that works for most or all of you? Lock it in, inform your vendors and guests, and put the tough days behind you. It’s time to be looking forward to your new date and embrace the extended period you get to spend engaged to your soulmate!

For more alternatives on what you can do if your wedding can’t go ahead as planned, check out this article I’ve written.

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