Planning your Wedding during a Global Pandemic

Go ahead as planned, reschedule or just wait? Photo: Laura Myers Photography

Yup, these are crazy times that we are living!

In all my years as a wedding planner, I have dealt with many different (crazy!) scenarios but never a global pandemic. I can only imagine that if I’m feeling lost, so are you! We are all privy to the same information coming from our government leaders, the news and public health offices. And yet, everyday with more information received, we tend to have even more questions that need to be answered. I’d like to tell you that there’s a specific date that you need to decide about the fate of your wedding, but I can’t. We are just as much in the dark as you are. Our planners have been on standby, hoping that by May 1st we have a better understanding of how the wedding season will be affected. But, truth be told, we may not get that clear timeline we are all hoping for.

I’ve been in contact with many of our clients but I wanted to share a few things to consider as you are deciding how to handle your upcoming wedding and all the plans that are involved.

What you should know:

Your wedding vendors want this wedding season to go ahead too! Aside from this being our employment and what puts food on the table for our families, we are also SO invested in our couples, their details and giving them the best day possible. Trust me, none of us wants to be in this situation!
As we are all adjusting to working from home, some of your vendors may not be as accessible as you would like them to be. Please be patient with us. Sometimes, it’s just not feasible to answer emails and phone calls during the day when we are entertaining and feeding kids, pets, and spouses :)
Thunder Bay has seriously one of the coolest wedding industries I’ve ever worked with. We are a community, we have each other’s backs and we hold ourselves accountable to ourselves and each other. This is a small city and our work is not just about business. It’s about seeing our clients happy and giving them the best day ever. Very few other cities have vendors that are so connected. We are all here for you and for each other.
Be mindful of those wedding articles that are popping up on pages like the Knot, Wedding Wire, blogs and even mainstream news. They may have some great advice, but the information doesn’t always apply to what our weddings are like nor the pandemic situation in our city. If you need direction, reach out to your professional wedding vendors directly. They will give you the lowdown and they will give you personalized advice.

Should you Reschedule???

Here are some things I’m concerned about and you should consider too:

Can you file for a Marriage License? When will the city offices open?
What are the current isolation rules from our government?
Are there travel restrictions? Can your guests get to your wedding?
Understanding that not all guests will be able to attend - i.e. if they are immunocompromised, taking care of ill family, or just filled with anxiety. You may have a smaller group than originally expected.
RSVPs still need to be in at least 4 weeks prior to your wedding. Is there time to send out invites and get replies?
Is your venue open and working at full capacity? Are your vendors able to work?
Showers, Bachelor/ette parties etc. will likely have to be rescheduled or cancelled flat out. Are you ok with this? I’ll talk more about options for this at another time.

How to Reschedule:

If you've got to do it, do it right!

Consult with your Wedding Planner! We know what your plans were and we can help you decide on the perfect timing for YOU and your situation.
Choose a Date. Actually choose a few options. Have a proper sit down with your honey and the calendar (and perhaps some wine). Choose a few dates that you are comfortable with. For example, maybe you move to the same date in 2021, or later in the fall/winter of 2020. If Saturday isn’t available, are you ok with another day of the week?
Contact your Venue. See what they have available and what matches your discussed dates. Ask them about rescheduling fees and other policies they may have.
Contact your Other Vendors. Contact each and every vendor and have an open conversation about your concerns, their availability for your new date, deposit transfers and fees (i.e. deferred schedule, additional costs etc.). Be sure to have a thorough read of your contract! P.S. Your wedding planner will do this for you…. Hint hint :)
Tell Your Guests. If you have already sent out save-the-dates or invitations, definitely consider reaching out to your guests via phone, email, social media etc. and letting them know that you are postponing. You don’t have to give them the new date right now if you don’t want to!

Finally, BREATHE!!!! This whole situation sucks. It’s emotional, and you have every right to be mad, sad, anxious and mourning your perfect wedding day plans. Things will be different but life will get back to normal and you will be able to continue your plans in a better frame of mind soon. You might even benefit from this time to put in some effort on your DIY projects to personalize your big day even more.

We are all in this together, and we will get through this. And if you need us, we’re here to help!

Sincerely,