What to do if COVID 19 canceled or postponed your wedding

I normally don’t talk too much about current events here at Wedding Traditions and Meanings, but these times are anything but normal as our country fights to stay ahead of the COVID-19 spread. The CDC has officially recommended the cancelation of weddings in the United States for eight weeks (until mid-May) and that IS history.

Before I get into the steps to take if your wedding has been canceled, let me tell you a story about a close family member who was married almost two years ago. It was a May wedding held outdoors. A perfect day. Slightly overcast, a little bit of a breeze. The father walked the bride down the aisle to her beaming groom and the ceremony started. And the sun came out. The breeze died. The sun felt like we were baking in an oven and the bride started to sway. I knew she was going to faint. Three of us ran up there. A chair was placed under her before her lights went out. She came to within seconds. Dots of perspiration decorated her face like pearls warning that she was overheated…the dress to tight…something. They finished taking their vows sitting down. When things were done, they got in the car to go to where the reception was held, but the bride started throwing up. Turns out she had the flu. They missed their own reception. And a couple days later the groom had the bug. Honeymoon canceled.

Why do I tell this story? Well, that’s what it is. The couple has few pictures of the day, they missed their reception, and didn’t get their honeymoon. BUT they are happily married today. As we deal with this national emergency, we all face a new normal. Just like brides who married before their men went off to war, we do what must be done. With that said, here are a few steps to help you through this new normal as you try to deal with the fact that your wedding has been canceled.

Checklist for cancelling your wedding because of COVID-19

While this short checklist can help you take the steps needed to cancel or postpone your wedding due to COVID-19, it will require you to check the cancellation policies of the vendors and suppliers you have contracted with. Contacting them will help you decide if you need to cancel or you can postpone. That’s step one. If you decide to postpone, as you contact the various vendors ask them if it is possible for them to hold your deposit until things settle down and you can set a new date. If that isn’t going to work and you feel you have to cancel for now, these three steps can help you get it done.

1.  Check your contracts to know how to proceed. Most of the time deposits are non-refundable, but in the case of COVID-19 there is a measure of flexibility because the government is the one that has banned social gatherings including weddings. If you have wedding insurance call them right away. (The same with travel insurance regarding the cancellation of your honeymoon.)
2. Ask for help from a friend or family members you know will actually get the job done. Have them contact suppliers and guests for you. Sharing the load will help alleviate some of the stress and it can give other people something to do as they are sheltering in place. Email them the list of who needs to be contacted. Guests who are traveling should be contacted first so they can make their own cancellations. For the guest list, create a spreadsheet to help keep information organized in a way that makes sense to anyone who sees it. 
3.  Create an email address specifically for this task so all correspondence is in one account.

In the case of COVID-19, most suppliers will try to find a new date or give you a refund. Some have an 'Act of God' clause in their contracts which means no payment is required in the case of a fire, flooding or extreme weather. I’m guessing that COVID-19 will fall into this category.

Photo credits: pixabay, pixabay