Covid-19 Weddings:
Postpone, Cancel or Elope?
Planning your wedding has always been a somewhat stressful event, but for couples planning to marry in 2020 that stress has risen to a whole new level! Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a great deal of uncertainty surrounding weddings and other celebrations and it is unclear when we can expect things to return to some version of normal. This has left couples with some difficult decisions to make regarding Covid-19 Weddings. Should they postpone in case things are still restricted when the planned date rolls around? Should they cancel the wedding completely? Or maybe they should change their plans and opt to elope instead!
I have been talking a lot lately about how to elope during coronavirus with a variety of different solutions including virtual weddings! It seems I am not the only one thinking along those lines. I recently came across an article by Gretchen Mayer discussing the difficult decisions that couples are facing when it comes to their Covid-19 Weddings.
Why Postponing Decisions About Covid-19 Weddings Could be a Mistake
One of the points Gretchen shared was very interesting. She suggested that couples choosing to postpone making a decision about their Covid-19 weddings could be making the wrong decision. The main reason being that such a large number of couples will be looking to reschedule their wedding dates for 2021 on top of those who had already been planning a wedding. This means that couples could be left scrabbling for a limited number of dates and venues. If you wait it out ‘just in case’ restrictions are lifted soon you could be too late to make other plans. In my opinion, the most sensible course of action is to downscale the wedding to something smaller or to elope instead. One of the Corona Bride mantras has become Elope Now, Party Later!
What About the Money?
One of the big concerns that many couples will have is what happens to the deposit money they have already paid towards venues, accommodation, and other wedding expenses. One of the first things you will need to do is find out where you stand in regard to re-booking or canceling your plans. While most vendors would normally have a strict cancellation policy in place, you will find that many are struggling financially due to the pandemic and may be more willing to work with you on changing your plans. Why not ask if you can reduce your booking to a smaller wedding to allow for COVID-19 restrictions? This is something that officiant Lois Heckman from the Pocono Mountains touched on in the guest blog she wrote for Where to Elope recently.
Whatever decision you make regarding your Covid-19 Weddings it is important to make a decision and stick with it. There is no room for flip-flopping! You need to start changing plans as soon as possible.