Is the idea of wedding planning while social distancing overwhelming? You are not alone! According to The Knot, 20,000-30,000 weddings, occurred every weekend before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
That means there are hundreds of thousands of weddings that have to be rescheduled over the next few months. Worldwide, 93% of couples whose weddings are impacted by the virus are rescheduling for a later date.
All of this rescheduling can make planning confusing! If you and your partner are among the 93% of couples that have postponed or one of the 2.5 million weddings that happen annually, you probably have some questions and even reservations about planning a wedding during the coronavirus pandemic. That's totally normal!
In this post, I’m going to show you how you can continue planning your wedding and what you can be working on, so you don’t have to hit “pause.” 2021 is going to be a busy year with so many weddings getting pushed to it and new weddings being added. Many vendors' calendars are getting filled earlier than normal.
Let's look at how you can continue the wedding planning with social distancing!
Focus on What You Can Control
There’s a lot of planning to be done. But some decisions don’t depend on working with vendors or are contingent on other plans. Some examples of these items include: writing your wedding vows, selecting your accessories, choosing your signature cocktails, and picking your wedding songs, like your processional music and first dance songs. Start working on these items, while you wait for vendors to be available.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
A lot of vendors are shifting to Zoom meetings instead of in-person interviews and visits. This is advantageous for you as you can invite your parents or best friend to virtually tour a venue with you when you normally would have only been able to do it with your future spouse.
In addition, as vendors have shifted to more online meetings, a check-in that would have normally occurred over the phone will happen “face-to-face” over the screen. This allows for a stronger relationship between you and the vendors as they get to know you both better and what you envision for your wedding.
Ask Vendors How They’re Handling This New Environment
During the interview process, I recommend asking vendors some important questions for your peace of mind and to understand what kind of monetary obligations you’re agreeing to. Have they transferred deposits to new dates? How are their payments structured? What clauses in their contracts address if you have to postpone or cancel your future wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic specifically?
Have a list of your questions ready for all of your potential vendors. (Want to know what questions to ask? Sign up for my webinar 5 Ways to Pandemic-Proof Your Wedding!)
Looking for the top questions to ask your venue? Read the post, Top 20 Overlooked Questions To Ask Your Wedding Venue!
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
As the majority of 2020 weddings have postponed to 2021, coveted wedding pros will get booked earlier on average. If there’s a specific photographer, venue, planner, or other professional you’ve been stalking and have been excited to work with, reach out to them as soon as possible to check their availability. It might take a couple of emails to find vendors that are still available on your date if you’re picking a popular time to get married.
Be Flexible When Wedding Planning While Social Distancing
As more and more weddings get pushed into 2021, remember that you might need to be more flexible with certain dates or vendors if they’re a priority for you. Thursdays are the new Fridays and Sundays are the new Saturdays. Because of this new time we live in, your friends and family will be understanding if you invite them to a weekday wedding. I guarantee yours won't be the only invitation they receive that falls on a non-traditional day. Plus, it just gives you more time to party with them – and after all this social-distancing, that will be a welcome opportunity to connect and celebrate.
Planning a wedding for 2021 or 2022? Grab my wedding planning checklist here so you know EXACTLY what to do every step of the way.
Read the Fine Print
More than ever, it’s very important to read your contracts carefully. When you’re ready to book a service provider, make sure to look over the cancellation and postponement clauses. Read through the payment schedule and make sure it’s something you’re comfortable with.
If there are any liability and indemnity sections, make sure you understand what they’re saying. Don’t just skim through these sections as they are very important. A good contract is a clear and concise one. Make sure you understand what you’re legally committing to!
Want to know the top 20 overlooked questions to ask your wedding venue? Sign up here for my free list!
Wedding Planning While Social Distancing
Most couples have shifted their weddings to a later date. If you’re one of those, it’s best to continue your planning instead of hitting “pause.” Focus on what you can control, take advantage of virtual meetings, and read your contracts carefully.
If you scrolled to the bottom…
When planning a wedding while practicing social distancing, prioritize items that don’t involve in-person meetings. And start reaching out to favorite vendors now instead of waiting too long. Many weddings are being pushed to 2021, so your preferred dates or vendors might be taken very quickly!
Photography by: Anomaly Photo
Be the first to comment