Wedding 101

COVID-19 Ruined My Wedding Plans... What Should I Do Now?

Discover, manage, and track all of your vendor communication, contracts, and timelines in one place.
Ah, love in the time of coronavirus. Pandemics and marriage are a match made in heaven. Said no one ever... But seriously, we are so deeply sorry if any of you are currently facing the madness that is wedding planning in the COVID-19 era. As soon as we realized just how serious this issue was, we started gathering materials and personal stories from nearlyweds and experts alike to get you the information you need to make it through this big change. It's not easy for anyone to be managing the ups and downs of social distancing, even without the added stress and disappointment of having to plan your wedding in the midst of a global pandemic. You may have read up on how to keep things romantic at home or at least how not to drive your partner up the wall, but we finally have amassed the Loverly guide to wedding planning around a pandemic. (Wow, never thought we'd say that! Yeesh.)

1Postponing Your Wedding With Wedding Insurance

If you have wedding insurance then cheers to you! You just got the last laugh on anyone questioned why you would bother getting any insurance over a wedding! Seriously though as unlucky as this situation may be, you are probably in the best position anyone could be for right now. Depending on your level of coverage and how your provider is handling the current pandemic, you'll likely be able to get back every penny you spent to put it towards a new date (minus your deductible)! Your insurer likely is dealing with a lot of postponements at the moment, so please be patient and make sure to keep in close contact with them following your new dates, any repayment schedules, and other additional costs you'll have to incur based on when you choose to postpone to. For a more detailed overview of how wedding insurance works check out this guide or contact your provider directly!

2Postponing Your Wedding Without Wedding Insurance

For anyone who doesn't have insurance, do not freak out! You will still be fine. Chances are, your vendors are just as worried about this pandemic as you are! For you, postponing your wedding changes a huge number of plans, moving parts, and may cost you some money in the interim. For them, this is their entire livelihood! Our biggest tip for postponing you wedding is to talk to your vendors. Discuss your options with your partner, pick a few alternative dates, and start calling up your vendors and seeing if any of these dates work for them. You will get through this and your vendors are here to support you!

3Have a Private Commitment Ceremony

Trust us, no one loves a big, beautiful wedding bash like Loverly does. But this is a time when certain consolations must be made. If you're stuck on your particular wedding-date and still want to celebrate it somehow, we recommend throwing your own private commitment ceremony just between you and your partner. This is a great way to still celebrate your union together, without all the extra wedding madness going on around you since that's not really an option right now. Your at-home commitment ceremony could be anything you want it to be, but we recommend decorating your home together to make it a little extra special, preparing a nice meal or a sweet treat, and (most of all) sitting down and talking about your vows to one another. Maybe it's not the official vows you will eventually make to each other on your wedding day, but they will be as true now as they will be then. Take the time to commemorate the promise you made to one another in getting engaged and appreciate the feelings you both have. Plus, now you'll get two anniversaries to celebrate!
Man putting wedding band on partner. via Loverly Real Weddings

4Try a Micro-wedding

If you already have your marriage license, then getting married on a small scale is actually pretty doable! A micro-wedding is exactly what it sounds like, an itty bitty version of the big thing! All you really need is you, your love, and an officiant. Unless you're in Colorado for some reason? In which case you can self-solemnize and perform your own wedding! As for the other 49 states, you will need an officiant. Preferably one you already live with, in the case of families who are self-isolating together. (Your mom is about to be so pumped). Otherwise, you're going to have to get real comfortable with a six-foot distance between you and the person conducting your ceremony. Be sure to read up on all recommended health and safety guidelines! If you're interested in having a micro-wedding, look into getting one of your live-in loved ones ordained so that they can perform the ceremony! It's as easy as filling in a form online. Once you have a secluded or private location scoped out (preferably your own home or perhaps even some wide-open wilderness), you're all set! It may not be the huge budget-busting soiree that you had originally envisioned, but if you can't postpone your big day, make it a little one instead. Trust us, despite the size, there will be no shortage of emotions! You may even consider doing a smaller wedding via Zoom so your micro wedding can be a little less micro. Yes, that is now a thing!
Newlyweds sitting at table. via Loverly Real Weddings

5Cancel

We wouldn't deeply recommend this option as opposed to postponing, given that it will be easier on both you and your vendors to just pick up where you left off at a later date, but if for some reason postponing just isn't for you, than there is always the cancellation option. If you are planning on canceling your wedding over COVID-19, just be sure that you discuss it at length with your partner and inform all of your guests and vendors. Depending on whether or not you have wedding insurance or how your individual vendors deal with cancellations, you'll probably be out a decent chunk of change. But your wedding needs to happen your way, so if this is the best option for you then you should go for it! In any case, please be sure you're abiding by all recommended safety standards in every way possible. We understand that getting married is the most important thing in the world to you and your partner right now, but that may not be the case with the rest of the world. We love a love story more than anyone else, but sometimes things are worth the wait. Especially when it comes to health and safety!
More like this
Plan your wedding like a pro.
Follow
Join our newsletter: