It’s no doubt that the Coronavirus Pandemic is affecting the entire world. In efforts to slow the spread of the virus, the CDC  recommended avoiding large gatherings, this includes weddings.

Planning a wedding is such hard work and having to reschedule your wedding on top of that, can be stressful. I interviewed a couple of Tampa wedding planners to get some tips and tricks on how to reschedule your wedding amid Coronavirus pandemic, and keep your sanity at the time!

Tips from Love Out Loud Events 

Brittani, Love Out Loud Events’ owner shared the following tips for postponing your wedding amid the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Tip #1 Allow yourselves time to grieve

Feel your feelings. You’ve been looking forward to this your whole life, and now you have to wait. That sucks and you should give yourself time to grieve. 

Tip #2 Have an Open Discussion with your Wedding Vendors 

Once you’ve dealt with those emotions, have an open discussion with your fiancée and wedding professionals that you’re working with regarding CDC guidelines. The purpose of this conversation is to find out their available dates for rescheduling your wedding. Start considering other dates as well as days of the week as a backup plan and keep your guests in mind when selecting a new date. Many Saturdays will not be available, but if most of your guests are in-state, they can probably accommodate a Sunday instead. Consider next year if needed. 

Identify what vendors are most important to you and start with them. Consider the most essential wedding vendors. Usually these are the venue, the photographer, and the DJ. This is because if you do not have quality photos, you can’t reminisce on your wedding day, without the DJ your guests may not have a good time. Entertainment is important!   

Tip #3 Have a Plan B and C 

Always have plan B and plan C. This Coronavirus situation is so new and unprecedented that it’s hard to know when it will end so it’s important to start thinking about the possibility of rescheduling even if your wedding seems far away. 

Start thinking about your guests, how to react in the worst-case scenario and be flexible. Know that it’s not under anyone’s control. Consider having your wedding later in the year or further out in 2021. For example: If you are getting married in October, evaluate the situation and start considering rescheduling in June. When you decide on a new date, the easiest way to communicate it to your guests is with an e-invitation or on your wedding website. 

Tip #4 Do Something for Yourselves

I am a huge advocate for empowering my clients to do what they want. To make your new wedding date extra special you could get another wedding dress to change into during the reception, honor the event by having a special cocktail named after your original wedding date, you could serve Quarantinis as a little joke, incorporate the saying “Love cannot be canceled” into your wedding. Ultimately do what works best for your budget and how you want the day to look like. Don’t be afraid to get creative and poke a little fun at the situation.

Schedule a Free Wedding Planning Call with Love Out Loud Events

Brittani loves helping people so she is kindly offering affected couples a free wedding planning meeting to help you during this time. 

She is also sharing free resources such as e-invitation templates to help you reschedule your wedding. 

Having a professional wedding planner help you out is truly invaluable – it can save you many headaches so I really hope you will accept this wonderful gift!

Email her at brittani@loveoutloudevents.com to book your free planning call and access those resources! 

Love Out Loud Events is an event planning company in Central Florida. The owner, Brittani, is a certified wedding planner through The Bridal Society who’s always had a passion for event planning. She graduated with a double major in Event Management and Hospitality Management and participates in monthly workshops to stay on top of the latest trends and expand her knowledge in the industry. At Love Out Loud Events, clients are treated as unique as they are and are encouraged to let their authenticity shine through on their wedding day. 

Learn more about Love Out Loud Events here. 

Tips from Royal Events and Services

Victoria from Royal Events and Services shared the following recommendations for rescheduling your wedding during COVID-19 times. 

Tip #1 Involve Your Wedding Planner

If you decide to reschedule your wedding, your wedding planner should be the first vendor you reach out to because they will take care of everything. They will communicate it to the rest of the wedding vendors and make the process so much easier for you. If you do not have a wedding planner, the first vendor to contact is your venue. 

Tip #2 Keep Traveling Wedding Guests in Mind

I recommend rescheduling two months out and considering your traveling wedding guests when deciding on a new wedding date. People’s mentalities can change after a pandemic and they may be afraid of traveling for a while. Some couple’s are postponing to the Fall, or the same date next year. A lot of venues are honoring postponing for about a year without cancellation fees so if you’re worried, rescheduling to 2021 should be a safe bet. 

The easiest methods to communicate it to guests to send post-cards with cute little poems like “Love isn’t canceled”. You can even make these yourselves to save money, using services like Vistaprint. You can also communicate it through your wedding website, and using services that allow you to blast text messages to your wedding guests. 

Tip #3 Have a Small Intimate Ceremony on Your Original Wedding Date 

It’s important for you to consider still having a small intimate ceremony take place on your original wedding date and having the celebration with family and friends take place on the rescheduled date. You can go to the courthouse that day and have the ceremony between just you, your fiancee and the notary, following social distancing guidelines. Some of our couples are opting to do this, at Royal Events and Services, we have a registered notary available for them to do this. It’s simple but memorable. 

Tip #4 Keep Positive 

Coronavirus caught us off guard and it has been devastating for a lot of couples. One of our couples already had family that flew in for their wedding and the wedding had to be canceled abruptly. Remember at the end of the day, what this is all about, it’s about you two, you’re still going to have a wedding, it doesn’t matter when. Rona can’t cancel your love! 

Royal Events and Services is a wedding planning and floral design company in Tampa, Florida that serves the surrounding areas and beyond. They have a dedicated glam squad of certified wedding planners with over 15 years of combined experience. The team loves and finds great joy in creating unforgettable weddings and long-lasting memories for their couples. In addition to planning and floral design, Royal Events and Services also offers event rentals such as backdrops and candelabras; this positions them as a one-stop-shop for wedding needs and helps couples save on delivery fees and time spent managing multiple vendors. 

Learn more about Royal Events and Services here.