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covid 19 wedding

Wedding Planning During a Global Pandemic

Recently, I virtually set out to ask brides how the global pandemic is impacting their weddings. The business effects are monumental, but personal influences are a key element I want to cover. I feel deep empathy for brides with ceremony cancelations, rescheduling, and up-in-the-air weddings. I can’t imagine having my special day on hold or in a state of uncertainty, with countless questions.

One bride heartbreakingly admits, “2 years of planning…forced to postpone 4 weeks before the wedding. We were set to go and planning was complete and then the global pandemic hit. I’m hoping we will be okay to have our event by the fall, but if not…we’ll be postponing again to next year.”
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The responses I’m sharing are from a diverse group. Around 100 brides, each with their own stories of the global pandemic. These bride’s responses are anonymous to protect their privacy and information. I appreciate these wonderful ladies for contributing honesty, authenticity, and their experiences to make this post possible. Hopefully, if you’re a fellow bride with a wedding party on hold, you’ll find comfort in knowing you’re not alone.

Out of this group of 100 women…

  • 34% say that their wedding is postponed until next year (2021)
  • A whopping 58.7% say their wedding is continuing as planned
  • The remaining 7.3% answer that their weddings are postponed, waiting to hear from their venue (or other) vendors, or hosting a live stream wedding via Zoom
Covid19-pandemic

Asking if it’s the bride’s choice to postpone or safety regulations, this was a split answer. Nearly equal parties answer it’s a personal choice for safety or a requirement by the New England government’s regulations. I sympathize with brides who have been carefully planning their dream day that remains a dream for now.

As one bride responds, “It’s honestly heartbreaking. We had this date set and we were so excited and to have it ripped away from us was really hard.”

I’m proud of fellow vendors when reading responses from brides asked if their vendors are available for postponement dates.

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  • 68.1% of brides say Yes, their vendors are available to reschedule
  • 13.8% say No, their vendors are not available to reschedule

One curious element to a few responses is that some vendors are not understanding with wedding party postponements and cancelations. Though times are uncertain for businesses, it’s unfair to blame couples for circumstances out of their control.

Two responses, in particular, stand out:

“My venue gave us an extremely hard time about postponing; they were going to charge us a 50% cancelation fee. We had to get a lawyer involved. After a month, we were able to get out of our contract. We lost our deposit but we were okay with that. My fiancée and I decided to book our wedding at a new venue as we were no longer comfortable getting married there.”

As well as this answer:

“Our venue has been awful. I’m in a private Facebook group with 60 other people who are at the same venue that are having similar frustrations. Some couples have been told their prices for their postponement will go up by 15%, even though their weddings were canceled due to a global pandemic and they’re concerned about family health.”

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I preach kindness and understanding, as I feel that contribution, safety, and protection makes the global pandemic more bearable. The stress, pressure, and overwhelm arriving from a pandemic is monumental (we’re literally living through history!). Acts of compassion and understanding create emotional and mental peace, and these efforts may be mirrored back by others.

One bride supports this claim by saying,

“Everyone was actually very good and understanding about our postponement, even when it wasn’t clear that it’d be absolutely necessary at the time. From what I see on Facebook groups about this same situation, we really lucked out.”

Another mentions:

“Every vendor we worked with was extremely understanding and made the process a little easier to digest all while they’re also hurting. My future husband and I seemed to take turns with the occasional, ‘this isn’t fair’ comments and helped get the other focused on what really counts. It will certainly make for an interesting story to tell our future kids.”

I adore the comment about a story for your future kids :). I love these examples of mutual understanding, compassion, and teamwork that make situations better. A question to consider: what is one kind thing you can do for someone today?

Whether we express different opinions, values, and ideas surrounding the pandemic, our internal feelings are likely corresponding. How can we make this time easier for ourselves and others?

Covid 19 wedding

As one bride-to-be states:

“Many brides were able to come together during all of this, and it did help to know that you are not alone during this time of frustration.”

Remember: you are not alone. There are still many questions in need of answers, but there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope every couple achieves their dream wedding sooner than later, if not one more amazing than they’re anticipating. I trust we’ll all get our happily-ever-afters once the craziness subsides.

Thank you for reading. Please stay safe, healthy, and pay attention to what brings you joy.

XO,

~ Nancy

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