What to Do If You Postpone or Call Off Your Wedding

You’ve set your date, sent out the invitations, booked your vendors… but now due to unforeseen circumstances, your day is in jeopardy. No one wants to reschedule, postpone, or even cancel their special day, but here are some tips to help you face this challenging change of plans.

Postponing Your Day

1. Review your vendor contracts and wedding insurance if you purchased it. Each vendor may treat cancellations differently, but there will likely be nonrefundable deposits and fees depending on how close you are to your original date. If your venue/vendors do not allow you to cancel without losing significant money, find out if you can reschedule your wedding. Focus on the most crucial vendors first such as your venue, caterer or your absolute favorites since vendor availability may likely differ for each as you choose a new date. If you purchased wedding insurance before the change of plans, review your policy and see if you’ll receive reimbursements for any lost deposits or are eligible for other financial support.
2. Contact your guests. Let your friends, families and wedding party know right away. Some may need to alter their travel plans so let them know as soon as possible. When reaching out to your guests, obtain confirmation from everyone so you are confident that they know about the changes. As you’re letting everyone know, update your wedding website with your new date and any other new key information such as accommodations or event time. If you’re feeling extra, send out new date cards from Minted or Etsy. Plus, it gives you another excuse to share more of your favorite engagement photos!
3. Look on the bright side. Yes, it’s so hard to uproot all your plans. And your new date will look different but remember to have fun with it. Now you have time to create that themed seating chart you were eyeing on Pinterest, craft your own centerpieces, or rethink your bridal jewelry. Plus, once your new date arrives, you’ll still get to tie the knot with your best friend for life.

Canceling Your Day

Calling off the wedding may not be talked about much, but it does happen. And yes, it’s hard, but not impossible to get through. Building a support system of dear friends and family is one step to helping you confront this grief and begin to untie your wedding plans.

Relationship coach and founder of Lovistics, Natalia Juarez, shares an article titled, The Ultimate Guide to Calling Off Your Wedding or Engagement. In summary, she focuses on three steps: self care, creating an action plan, and a long-term healing plan.

Another facet of a cancelled wedding involves the financial effects. How to Unplan Your Wedding by Katrina Clarke breaks down the various pieces of a wedding and offers advice about how to handle specifics such as your dress, the photographer, and the gifts.

Overall, whether you’re postponing or canceling, remember that you are not the first bride or groom to face this. Surround yourself with friends and family who will not only let you cry on their shoulder or pour you another glass of wine, but also help you make a game plan to tackle the next steps.

Photo credit: Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash