First things first – our hearts are with you if you find yourself in the position of contemplating the future of your wedding.

As the world navigates these unprecedented times surrounding the pandemic, many couples are choosing to postpone their weddings due to restrictions or circumstances that affect their original wedding date. If you’re on the fence on whether to do so, perhaps take a read of this article before diving in.

If you are planning to postpone your nuptials, then there are a couple of things to consider and to check off your to-do list as soon as you’ve made the call.

1. Revisit T&Cs and contracts from both your venue and vendors

Take a read through all of your contracts with both your venue and vendors to understand what your options are moving forward. We suggest doing so before you touch base with your wedding team.

2. Touch base with your wedding team to update them on your plans as soon as you’ve made a decision 

Your venue and vendors will want to know ASAP what your plans are – whether it’s to continue or postpone your wedding. Make sure you touch base with them over email or phone as soon as possible to let them know what your movements are. We’ve put together a bunch of templates to help you navigate what to say. Keep in mind that your venue and vendors are currently run off their feet managing multiple wedding changes, so please send some love their way and be patient for their response as they get back to numerous couples in the same boat.

We’ve created three spreadsheets to help you reschedule your dates which you can find below. Please take note of the below when using these sheets.

These are Google Sheet documents, so you will need to duplicate the sheet to be able to edit it. Here’s how to do so: open the sheet of choice below > click ‘File’ on the top left > click ‘Make a copy’ and use that version. 

If you prefer to use Excel, here is how to use the sheet in Excel: open the sheet of choice below > click ‘File’ on the top left > click ‘Download’ > Microsoft Excel.

FOR COUPLES: Template for couples to work on for vendor and venue availabilities.
FOR VENUES: Template for you to share with your couples with your availability.
FOR VENDORS: Template for you to share with your couples with your availability.

3. Be understanding and flexible with the suggested dates for postponing provided by your W-team

When it comes to postponing, your venue and vendors will be juggling their calendar for the year ahead. Snagging another Saturday in your ideal month might not be possible, so consider other days like Thursday, Friday, Sunday or even Mon-Wed. You’ll have better luck at locking one of these days in and trust us, venues and vendors will LOVE you for it as they too continue to work through these tough times.

4. Communicate your change of plan to your guests

Once you’ve made the call and confirmed it with your wedding team, the next thing you’ll need to do is let your guests know ASAP. We’d also recommend that if you choose to proceed that you let your guests know this too as there will be a lot of uncertainty amongst your loved ones right now. We’ve got a bunch of templates on what to say, and how to best send out mass comms quickly to your guests, alongside some physical templates. You can find them here.

5. Know that it’s OK to feel disappointed and upset about having to postpone

You might feel disappointed, upset, angry, or frustrated at the current situation. Know that you’re in no way alone. There are thousands of couples right now trying to navigate this crisis – if you can find solace in this community, then please hold to it. Your feelings are completely valid and as you know, nothing is more important than the safety of your loved ones and your wedding team. Chat to your partner, your close family and friends and join our couples-only Facebook Group for a support team of people just like you going through the same thing right now – trust us, there are a bunch of serious legends in there waiting to give you a huge virtual hug.

6. Plan something for your would-have-been wedding date

When your original wedding day does come, have something planned for you and your partner to celebrate. Whether it’s a bottle of extra spesh champagne, a romantic dinner for the two of you, or a stay somewhere in Australia (check out our series of honeymoon recommendations), have something planned that’s special for you both.

7. Join our couples-only Facebook Group ‘Wedchat by WedShed’ for ongoing support

We’ve seen incredible support and love shared from couples to couples going through this right now in our Facebook Group. It’s couples-only, so feel free to join and share advice, love, good feels, funny videos, and things that make people smile here.

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Some suggested reading:

What does COVID-19 mean for weddings in 2020? Find out here.

Templates and tips for postponing your wedding due to COVID-19 – here.