Hi Globetrotters,
What is meant to be the happiest day of my life has become a setback. I was one of the unlucky many that had to reconsider her wedding day. No one wants to postpone her moment, especially if you’re like me and did all the planning with her partner. Weddings are a lot of time and money; To be so close the next milestone and then have it ripped from you feels like I have a carrot dangled in front of me.
Mr. Lumberjack and I were unhappy, but in the end, a decision and move had to be made. The coronavirus exponentially spread, and due to the novelty, there is a lot of uncertainty on when this will pass. Some of our family members would have came, but I think the happiest day of our lives would become the most cautious day of our lives. It wasn’t worth it.
When news broke out about the numbers last month, we began to contact our vendors to understand their policies and availability. We were very fortunate to have high-quality vendors that was willing to postpone their service, within a year and but no cancellation refund. If we had chosen smaller businesses, we would definitely lost more money, because small businesses don’t have the profit margins to support adjustments.
While this was all happening, I had a few text from curious guests, which I understand. However, I had one guest that was completely relentless, even after I told her to give me a week to collect information. She honestly wanted me to make a decision right away and continued messaging me (smh). The annoying commentary became unnecessary white noise, which made handling this a lot more difficult.
Unfortunately, we did not get a Saturday date, because other couples were probably scrambling for those days as well. We got the second best option, even though we lost money on the venue.
Project Management 101: When you're doing damage control, you will give up some money.
Ultimately, we pushed it to the following year. The venue only had mid-week choices for the next few months, I have a potential short-term assignment abroad and the coronavirus could still be lurking around. We could not put ourselves in a position where we have to postpone again.
Did I want to wait a year? Not really. However, I intend to get our Spring wedding, since that’s what we paid. My biggest concern is dieting and exercising (not really motivated) for another year. BUT I already had my last wedding dress fitting, so I HAVE to fit into it next year.
If you’re experiencing the same plight as me, below is the message I drafted to our friends and family. Feel free to use it.
Dear Family & Friends,
We hope you are doing as well as you can be. As you know by now, the coronavirus accelerated its spread, and with its unpredictibility, we decided to move our wedding date to next year.
The new wedding date is [day], [date] at [time].
The ceremony and reception location remains the same:
[venue name]
[address]
[city, state, zip]
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. However, this is the best decision for us and our guests. We want you to freely celebrate without fear to eat, dance and embrace.
We will reset all RSVPs to “No Response.” Please respond to us by [new RSVP date] if you will attend the wedding on the new wedding date.In the meantime, for the best form of communication, please frequently check our website, [website link], for any updates. Otherwise, you may contact us at [phone number].
Expect an updated invitation for your refrigerator later in the year. Stay safe and we hope to see you in [year].
Kind regards,
[name & name]
With that message, I’ll celebrate with you all in 2021. I know that I’m not the only one experiencing this. It’s a tough decision to make without feeling disappointed. If its any consolation, you are making a very unselfish choice to keep your family, friends and yourself safe. Your wedding day will be just as special whether its today or in a year.
Please take care and talk to you next week.
Ciao,
Amy
amy 