Need to Reschedule Your Big Day?
2020 has been an unbelievable year! Unfortunately, not in a good way. You have your wedding date, your venue picked, and all of your professional wedding vendors. All of this hard work and time… now gone. The wedding planning process is overwhelming on its own, and now rescheduling a wedding brings up a whole new set of challenges. However, know this: with the help of your wedding professionals, you will get through this!
If you plan to reschedule, you aren’t alone: 64% of weddings are actively postponing due to the pandemic, many having to push their wedding date to some time in 2021. On the industry side, many vendors are having a difficult year as well - hardly making any of their usual income and struggling to stay afloat. Parties on both ends (couples and industry professionals) don’t usually think about a pandemic needing to be included in a contract, so many adjustments are being made on a case by case basis. In order to effectively reschedule, you’re going to have to keep calm and start planning.
The first thing you should do is contact your vendors and planners. You want to be sure your photographer, wedding coordinator, and all other important vendors you’ve established a relationship with are still available on your new date. You certainly don’t want to pick a date, only to realize afterwards your vendors are already booked that day! And be sure to get the alterations and new date with your vendors in writing. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have things written down (it’s one of the reasons we personally prefer emails - it’s easy to go back and see what was said, rather than try to recall a phone conversation we had months ago).
Even before you’ve confirmed a new date with your industry professionals, it’s a good idea to let your guests know of your intention to postpone and that you’ll send a new date as soon as you’re able. A quick email, call, or text can give them a heads up just in case they have hotel reservations or flights to cancel and gives them plenty of time to plan. Don’t worry about your guests having to alter their plans; trust me, they won’t be upset. They just want to do what’s best for you and your partner.
Another thing to think about is keeping the original payment schedule with your vendors. Sure, many probably have it in their contract where they’ll just need the final payment a week or two prior to the wedding day - but with so many couples postponing, a lot of businesses and self-employed professionals are struggling to stay afloat with only retainers paid in 2020.
Many companies have been forced to furlough all of their employees, but still have a very high overhead cost,
and it’s important to support these companies so that when all of this passes they’re still around and able to be part of your special day.
References:
https://www.marthastewartweddings.com/7748315/how-reschedule-wedding-covid-19-pandemic-coronavirus
https://www.forbes.com/sites/yolarobert1/2020/04/28/what-to-do-if-you-have-to-cancel-your-wedding/#78d38064714a
Sometimes a Big Problem Needs a Small Solution: Micro Weddings Amidst the Pandemic
2020 has been difficult to say the least, and we know it’s especially hard right now for many of our couples. They’ve had the wedding of their dreams all planned out and were looking forward to marrying their best friend, only to have to drastically adjust everything or just postpone until a future date. There’s a way to be safe and still have a beautiful wedding ... {Read More...}
Simply put, a micro wedding is a reception with less than 50 guests. Couples will often combine an elopement and a reception to have their micro wedding, but you’ve still got the option to have both with a smaller guest count. And micro weddings aren’t new! Many couples will choose this option to save money, have a more intimate feel, and some even do micro weddings for vow renewals.
To decide if a micro wedding is the right thing for you and your partner, there are some things you’ll need to consider. The biggest are your location, your budget, and how many people you absolutely must have at your wedding. Micro weddings are great for destination weddings, spending more quality time with your guests, and being able to spend your budget elsewhere rather than just food and drink. Often a large wedding can feel overwhelming and you rarely have a moment to just relax and enjoy the company of your guests. For 14 great tips on planning a micro wedding, check out this post by Joy.
In this current year, it’s more important than ever to stay safe - and with many weddings still upcoming in the fall, many brides and grooms are making adjustments to be responsible and keep their guests healthy and safe. If not outright postponing, there has been a switch to micro weddings in order to comply with state & country guidelines and keep everyone safe. Ultimately, it all comes down to what you and your partner want, but micro weddings are a great way to have an intimate, personal, budget-friendly, and safe wedding.
References:
https://www.wedding-spot.com/blog/micro-wedding-ideas
https://withjoy.com/blog/how-to-plan-micro-wedding/
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/weddings/2020/05/06/micro-wedding/
Streaming Weddings: An Alternate Solution to Postponing
Maybe you don’t want to wait any longer and just want to finally marry the person of your dreams, even if that means you don’t get the wedding day you were planning. But if the venue, flowers, and food weren’t all that important to you, then maybe all you need is your partner, an officiant, and a webcam.
We’re lucky to be in an age of ever-growing technology, and through this pandemic it has been apparent just how important that is! Through services like Zoom and Skype, we’re able to talk to friends and family from all over the globe from the comfort of our own couch. Some industry professionals have taken advantage of this technology to do things like schedule virtual venue tours or vendor consultations. So, naturally, it was only a matter of time for couples to realize they could also virtually share their wedding with extended friends and family to keep everyone safe and comply with any guidelines.
While it may not be exactly how you imagined, there are still a lot of possibilities. As long as you make sure your internet connection is stable, you can log on to Zoom, Skype, Facebook Live, YouTube, or whatever platform you deem fit to host your ceremony. Here Comes the Guide has a great article on the steps you’ll need to stream your ceremony.
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of it all? Or maybe you don’t feel too tech savvy? During this time, a lot of videographers (like ourselves) are oftering live streaming services and will provide everything you need, stress free. You may even be able to have the stream recorded and saved to view for the rest of your life. We are here to help you during this difficult time and still provide you the opportunity to share your wedding day with your friends and family.
References:
brides.com/story/should-we-live-stream-our-wedding
https://www.herecomestheguide.com/wedding-ideas/how-to-virtually-plan-and-live-stream-your-wedding
Family Holiday Photography
With the holidays coming just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about those pictures for holiday cards! We don’t just do weddings, but offer a wide variety of portrait sessions. Whether it’s with your family, friends, or just yourself, our photographers are ready to capture your portraits! Check out more of what we offer at;