If you have tried to plan a wedding in the past 9-10 months, you have likely had to make some tough decisions about rescheduling your wedding or changing the plans to meet necessary safety restrictions. Let me be the first to say that NO ONE has all the answers right now, and there is no one right way to approach these unprecedented challenges. I have had brides opt for very different solutions, and I encourage you to work with your loved ones and your planner to determine the safest solution that works for you and your vision for your big day.
Reschedule entirely
If you are the type of bride who has a vision in mind for your special day that you absolutely do NOT want to compromise, your best option is to reschedule entirely. My good friend had a destination wedding in Belize planned for July. The rooms were booked, menu finalized, and timeline ready to go. Even though she was absolutely ready to get married, she and her partner had been dreaming of this gorgeous beach wedding for months, and so they opted to inform their guests that they would be postponing to a date in 2021. If you have already finalized most of your planning, it can be easier to just have your planner communicate with all the vendors and set a different date. Especially within the wedding industry in New Orleans, vendors have been extremely accommodating in these scenarios- We understand that no one WANTS to postpone their date, so if you make that difficult choice, most places respect your concern with safety and allow you to switch dates without a penalty. My one warning for this option would be simply that the future is uncertain! Unfortunately, with all this uncertainty, you have to be flexible with your date if you do not wish to be flexible with your plans and vision.
Have an intimate ceremony and postpone your large reception
Stacy Marks Photography
My clients, Mallory and Trey, had a big, fabulous, New Orleans wedding with 300+ guests all planned out at the NOPSI Hotel. When we began to finalize details in August, we were remaining optimistic that the Covid numbers were improving and restrictions would be eased by the time their October wedding came around. As you may have guessed, this wasn’t the case. With less than a month before their big day, they made the decision to keep their original reception plan for their one-year anniversary, where they would be able to finally celebrate with all of their original guests, but still get married with 40 of their closest family and friends and enjoy an intimate dinner to celebrate in the meantime. The day ended up being more special than they could have ever anticipated- they were able to connect with every single guests, and the toasts at dinner brought nearly everyone to tears (both of laughter and joy!). Mallory and Trey made sure their guests who did participate felt safe at all times- basing their seating chart on who was staying together (“pods”), and creating gorgeous custom embroidered masks so that they could adhere to the mask mandate in style.
Stacy Marks Photography
This is really a great option if you do not want to wait a day longer to be married to your person, but also want to be sure that your original guest list gets to be a part of that celebration.
Re-envision your wedding to make the most of an intimate wedding day.
After hearing her best friend, our brother, and countless other brides tell their tales of the struggles of rescheduling, my sister had her mind made up to get married with only immediate family as soon as possible. She had gotten engaged while being quarantined with her now-husband, and planning a large wedding seemed so far away that it was not worth the wait. They rented a gorgeous Air BnB in Crested Butte, Colorado, where all 15 of their guests could stay (including their dogs). Everyone pitched in to set up chairs and make hot chocolate at the ceremony site; set a lovely table for take-out dinner from a local Italian restaurant; bake pies and decorate and re-frost a slightly smushed cake (the mountain roads are no joke!); and celebrate just as joyfully as if this were a gigantic wedding. (Photos below by Sarah Parconi)
If you are open to a small ceremony with your closest loved ones, this is a great option during these uncertain times.
Remember there is no right answer! Your planner can be a helpful guide, but always begin by reflecting on what is most important for you and your partner when it comes to your wedding—that is where your solution lies.