One week of circuit breaker has passed by in a flash. Okay, that is very unlikely to be true. Being cooped up at home has probably been an onerous experience. To add to that, the numbers don’t look all that great. Our daily COVID-19 cases are rising at a rather alarming rate. We have to be mentally prepared that the circuit breaker may not necessarily end in early May.
This is likely to set off a couple of alarm bells for brides-to-be. It is safe to say that 2020 wedding ceremonies would be affected by the current public health situation. Changes, cancellations, postponements. These words would be swirling round your head – especially if you are planning on tying the knot this year. We want to help you go through this difficult period. Of course, different weddings have different circumstances so we’ll keep this rather generic. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to best navigate your way through postponing the wedding ceremony, finding a new date and replanning your special day.
Keep yourself updated
Living under a rock would definitely not be a good start to proceedings. Right off the bat, you have to be present – physically and metaphorically so. Tuning in to the daily news may be utterly depressing but understanding current events is crucial. This COVID-19 situation is likely to change, and chances are that it changes on a daily basis. Breaking news on Monday can become obsolete by Friday.
At the time of writing, the circuit breaker period lasts till May 4. However, the caveat here is that it depends on how the situation progresses. There is every chance that said date is to be extended. What this means is that even if your wedding date falls in the second half of 2020, it may not get the green light to continue. Yes, we understand that it’s good to be optimistic and hope for the best. Always see the cup as half-full, right? In times like these, maybe being cautious and in-the-know would serve us better. Stay informed and keep yourself updated from reliable news sources before coming to a decision.
List down the reasons why
To keep it short, it sucks. There is no denying that this whole situation just downright sucks. It’s easy – and completely normal – to get emotional and overwhelmed by it all. Planning an event as large as a wedding ceremony is daunting enough on it’s own. Throw in a global pandemic and things are likely to get a tiny bit more complicated. It is uncharted waters after all.
List down the reasons why postponing and replanning your wedding is the best option given the circumstances. A SWOT analysis of sorts. Who knew those would come in useful, huh? This can hopefully serve as a reminder to why you want to get married in the first place. You’d want your friends and family to witness the special day, whether it be at the end of this year or the start of the next one. Individual sacrifices for collective gains. We get it, it’s hard but sometimes it’s just necessary.
Communicate with vendors
Before reaching out to vendors, it is good to check your wedding insurance first. Calling your insurance agent will help you understand what the policy covers. It may not fully cover COVID-19 situations but it’s better for you to do your due diligence and find out more. Every little bit goes a long way. Also, if you have a wedding planner, he/she should be the first person you and your fiancé talk to with regards to postponing the wedding day.
Next on the list of what to do is reading the fine print of contracts. Not the most fun of activities but oh well. From wedding venues to food caterers, the fine print is likely to differ across vendors. Thus, collate all the contracts which you have signed and skim through to check on policies that deal with postponing or cancelling of the wedding. This way, you have a clearer idea of what is and what is not refundable.
Once you’ve checked the wedding insurance or read through the fine prints, you can now contact your vendors. It helps that you go in with all this new information. Do keep in mind that your vendors are probably dealing with a host of panicky calls just like yours too. You and your partner are not likely to be the only ones postponing a wedding. So, let us all keep calm and do our best to be patient as well. It may take some back and forth negotiations as vendors are stuck in a dire situation as well. This means that being flexible is important. Keep an open mind when it comes to working with your vendors on rescheduling for a new date.
Break the news to guests
Now that you’ve done the backend work, it’s time to update your guests. It is likely that some close family and friends are aware of the wedding postponement early on but do spare a thought for your other guests as well. You don’t wanna keep them in the dark for too long! Also, be aware that people are likely to have differing degrees of comfortability when it comes to attending large gatherings. Given how this pandemic has infiltrated our daily lives for a prolonged period, the after-effects can linger. The key point here is that it would be normal to see a slightly lower attendance count, even after you’ve postponed your wedding to a later date.
Having a wedding website would also be useful. This is so that you can keep your guest constantly updated and works great as a first point of call. Whenever you need to update your guests on any wedding matter, it can be mass-shared easily through the website. With COVID-19 constantly being at the forefront of our mind, miscommunication and confusion are very likely to happen. By having a website where everything about your wedding is in one place, you are minimising any chance of miscommunication on your part. Last minute changes, tracking RSVP responses, or even put up a FAQ segment so your guests are all on the same page. These are just a couple of benefits a wedding website can bring you. Psst, a great website we can recommend to you is this one right here.
Save Wedding Vendors
This global pandemic we are in has brought a host of challenges to everyone involved in the wedding industry. From brides-to-be to wedding vendors, these are unprecedented times. We, here at Delegate, want to be part of the solution and that is why we started this Facebook group – Save Wedding Vendors. We aim to build a community of helpful vendors and members. You can post your queries, ask for recommendations and share promotions or reviews as well.
We also started a second initiative to support vulnerable individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 situation. During this circuit breaker period, as part of the community, we will be donating SGD1 for every package purchased on Delegate to The Courage Fund by National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Do feel free to spread the word and support this cause!
It’s been a whirlwind of a year so far. Let’s make it a habit to check in on our loved ones and do our part to support one another.
