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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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