As of last week, the CDC has officially recommended weddings (and any event of 10 or more people) be cancelled or postponed for at least 8 weeks. And while public health is of the utmost importance, that does little to ease the anxieties of couples planning spring & early summer nuptials. 

So what do you do when an event you've been planning for months (or even years) is forced to come to a screeching halt? And what options do you have if you choose to continue with your current date, if any? 

Here's the reality. This is not going to be fun. It's not fun for small businesses, single parents, sick people, the elderly, brides or literally any other human person. A little compassion and a LOT of patience are going to be key in navigating the mess of cancelled vendors and rescheduled venues. But it can be done. And we're here to help you figure it out. 

We've got our best tips to weather this storm, below. We hope it offers you some guidance and comfort during these uncertain times. Love is not cancelled. And we will get through this, together. 

Wedding Woes - Cancellations & Coronavirus

Our wedding is in less than 8 weeks. Do we postpone our date? 

The short answer? Yes. Because groups of 10 or more are currently not allowed to gather, if you haven't already made the hard decision to postpone, it's time. And while it's going to hurt, it's definitely the safest and kindest move you can make for humanity right now.  

Our date is incredibly significant and we'd still like to get married then, what are our options?

Totally understandable! And still doable, if you're willing to be flexible. The quick and easy answer is to scrap the reception and ceremony and go ahead and elope with only your witness and photographer present. You could even live stream your vows for your friends and family to watch from home. After all, we could all use a pick me up - your virtual nuptials could be just that! 

And if you're okay moving the celebration date (photographer, dress and all), sign your marriage license on your original date and get married simply just the two of you. Then get back to planning a big party for your friends and family later this summer or fall to celebrate. You'll get to soak up that newlywed bliss and plan your event with a bit less stress. 

We've rescheduled our wedding but already sent invitations with our original date on them. What do we do?

This is SUCH a bummer and we feel for you. And this will be the only time we suggest this over paper - but it's time to go digital. Send out virtual "Change the Dates" to every guest who received a formal invitation and if you don't already have a wedding website now is the time to build one. 

If you still have your invitations in your possession, but need to change your date before mailing, you have some options. You could create little stickers with your NEW date to cover the old ones, pop a handwritten note on the inside with the new date listed, or you can even take your favorite marker and delicately cross out and rewrite your new date by hand. (Throw etiquette out the window, your guests will understand why these changes are being made.) 

Keep an original invite untarnished as a keepsake if you can, but save yourself some extra money and hassle by not starting over. 

As far as other personalized products go, don't forget we can always create your favor and sparkler tags dateless so you can use them anytime. Summer brides may want to go this route. You can keep planning full steam ahead, but know that you won't have to toss anything you create now if your date has to be moved. 

And definitely reach out to your vendors who created custom products for you. *Some* may have the ability to recreate things for free or at a lower cost, so it's always worth asking. Now is the time to get creative! 

We're being bombarded with questions from guests - what is the best way to answer everyone without having to do so individually? 

People WILL be concerned and that may cause some panicked and worried texts to completely overwhelm your phone. Our advice? Don't bother trying to answer them individually.

Save yourself a lot of stressful conversations by adding a FAQ section to your wedding website where you can sit down and answer the big questions in one place. (New dates/accommodation/travel updates/etc.) 

Then when people reach out, simply reply with the link to your website page. You can also send out a bulk email or Facebook post (or all 3) with this information as well. Then everyone gets their questions answered and you can relieve yourself of having the same chat with all 150+ guests. 

How do we take care of each other through this? We're going bananas cooped up and postponing everything. 

Like we mentioned above, this isn't going to be the most fun part of wedding planning, by a long shot. So it's extra important that you take care of yourself and your partner while you're navigating the chaos. Just like you would at work, designate your highest priority tasks and accomplish those first and together. Give yourself patience and space. And take breaks!! 

Designate a "Stay at Home Date Night" where you get dressed up (in seperate rooms!) and put away your phones and just sink into each other for an evening. Play your favorite games, cook a challenging new recipe, swap massages, build a pillow fort in the living room, whatever escape you need to reconnect and remember why you were planning a big fun wedding in the first place. The little things make the biggest difference. (Check out our quarantine activities blog for more ideas!)

And once the hard stuff is over and the date is changed, you can start to get excited about the details again. Send your bridal party long distance hugs in the form of cards, to thank them for sticking by your side through the chaos. (And don't forget to DELEGATE!) This process is a lot easier on everyone if you have friends and family you can lean on to help make those phone calls and update websites.

And focus on planning the things you CAN control. Like dateless favor tags, and wedding signs and filling our your wedding day cards for your family members while you have the gift of time to really go deeper. 

We're in this together, and that's exactly how we're going to make it through. 

Stay safe, stay home and stay hopeful.