These aren't topics that I get excited to write about, but they are essential right now. We want to be a source of calm in what might be a time of high stress for many couples. You've invested thousands of dollars in vendors for your upcoming wedding, and now it seems that everything has to change.
You're probably asking yourself:
Where do I start?
Who do I contact first?
What can I salvage from the original plan?
What do I do if plans don't work out?
Stationery by Baci Designer
Well, we asked around because we're proud of our local industry, and we knew they'd have all the insights and happily share! We asked our friend Valerie from Kirkbrides Wedding Planning and Design and Amanda from Baci Designer Stationery their thoughts and tips.
Pro Tips on Changing Your Wedding Plans
Tip #1 I asked Val @ Kirkbrides if there is a preferred way to communicate with vendors in advance about the possibility of changes, and she said: "A wedding date change depends on the venue's availability, so that's the best place to start. Some venues we check in with don't even have any 2021 availability, so that dictates plans a bit. Once you have general venue availability, then the other vendors can start coordinating on new dates. We have found that using Google Sheets to compare available dates with all of the vendors that everyone fills out in real-time has helped tremendously for organization purposes."
Planning by Kirkbrides
Even if you aren't using a planner, this process can help tremendously in saving your deposits! Most vendors are willing to reschedule, possibly without fees, instead of canceling altogether. Working and communicating closely with your vendor team can make a big difference in the outcome being close to what you originally planned.
Tip #2 from Amanda @ Baci Designer on sending out changes once they've been made:
" As with anything wedding stationery related, there is an etiquette that is in place for most circumstances; however, I always remind my clients that they know their guests best so the "rules" can always be tweaked a bit if necessary. When informing guests of a change in date, location, or time for a wedding, I feel it is best to do so in the same way they were initially invited to the event. Typically, that is by way of a mailing. I've designed several 'Change of Date Cards' for clients recently, and I think it is the most solid way to communicate information. However, with so much uncertainty surrounding our current times, a couple could send a Change the Date Card, only to have to send another one if their wedding date is affected again. For those who have rescheduled their weddings within 2020, it may be wise to communicate the change with guests the best way they can - emails, wedding website updates, phone calls, texts, word of mouth, etc. Once things have a more clear path, I would then recommend sending a mailing with the new information."
Left: Stationery by Baci Designer | Right: Planning by Kirkbrides
These tips can be a huge benefit to couples in the midst of changing circumstances. A few final thoughts from Amanda on easing the process with organization and communication:
"If a couple is planning or rescheduling a wedding in 2020, I strongly suggest creating a wedding website where information can be updated easily. I also suggest waiting until 6 weeks before the wedding to mail invitations - hold off on printing as long as possible as well so information can easily be changed, if needed.
**And lastly, I recommend including a "Best Way for Us to Get in Touch" Line on the reply card where guests can put their email addresses and/or phone numbers should the couple need to communicate any changes or delays. Not having to track down guests' current information will make things much smoother should the couple have to reach out.
- I've highlighted this because I think it's such a useful and simple tip to help keep things more straightforward.
Amanda also said, and we can all agree: "For couples marrying later in the year and crossing their fingers that they won't be affected, we're hoping right along with them!"
However, we know things are still uncertain. No one can know what weddings will look like later in 2020 or even in 2021 and going forward. Amanda suggests going through the guest list and creating a "Must Have" version in case the venue is forced to cut their capacity. Start with the couple, parents/grandparents, officiant, the bridal party, and then continue on from there with immediate family and close friends. This will help determine where numbers are and help make a game plan once the government puts out capacity numbers and will help you keep things in perspective if things shift multiple times while you're planning.
Stationery by Baci Designer + Calligraphy by Seaworthi
There really just aren't words I can string together that would help make this a better situation. The reality is dark, but we're hoping that by enabling couples with tools and insights, we can keep a little bit of the light and joy in our lives with the hopes of celebrating together in the future!
Thanks to Val and Amanda for helping me share this information!
Baci Designer - Wedding Stationery
Kirkbrides Wedding Planning + Design
(two vendors we highly recommend and love working with)
We’d love to hear your feedback, comment below!