If you would have told us a year ago that we would be writing a blog post about supporting couples as they postpone their wedding due to a pandemic, we would have thought you were crazy. It seems like we are living in some sort of movie, and that we will wake up and this will all be over. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and we have to face reality and do what is best for the health and safety of us and those around us. For so many, that means canceling bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and weddings.

Before we dive into how to go about this process, we want to recognize how hard this has to be for couples. We recently posted the following on our Facebook page to show our support during these uncertain times.

Brides, can we just take a moment to recognize you and the things you are going through right now? We just saw one of our brides post last night about the heartbreaking decision to postpone her wedding that was scheduled for the beginning of April, and you know what, we cried for her. You get engaged and the planning begins. You work hard to get all the vendors you want scheduled on the same day. You work around so and so's birthday and this and that holiday to find the best date. You attend meeting after meeting and make so many decisions to plan your dream wedding. And right now, there is so much uncertainty that it will happen on the timeline you imagined, and our hearts hurt for you. BUT! I think this is where we have to stick together, pull on our beautiful white wedding shoes, and make the best of it. No, the wedding might not happen on the exact timeline you had planned...BUT IT WILL HAPPEN. We hear your disappointment, we don't dismiss it, and we are here for you through this. You are still a bride, and you will be married to the person you love at the end of all this. -Ellens Bridal & Dress Boutique

Our hearts go out to those couples that are postponing or drastically changing their wedding. We also pray for all of those individuals that are being impacted by this horrible virus.

How do we move forward and make the best of this situation that we are now facing? We are going to have a 2 part blog series that offers some guidance on how to proceed. This blog post will focus on what steps to take to postpone your wedding. Later we will look at what you can continue to do to plan for the big day. The day that WILL happen in the future!

What should you do when you realize you need to postpone or cancel your wedding?

Your guests are going to be wondering if the event is happening as scheduled, so it is best to start the process of notifying them as soon as you have made a decision. How do you do this while maintaining social distancing? The best way would be to send a formal note stating the decision to postpone or cancel the event. We have also seen some clever spins on the traditional save the date to a change the date. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly way, sending an email or personally calling each guest would work too. We have some wording below that you can use if you need to notify your guests!

Postponing a Wedding

To our beloved friends and family,  

We wanted to reach out and let you know that we have made the difficult decision to postpone our wedding originally scheduled for (date/time/location). At this time, we feel this is the safest way to proceed with everything that is happening with COVID-19. The health and safety of our friends and family are of the utmost importance to us, and we ask for your understanding during this uncertain time.  

We do plan to have (a ceremony/reception/celebration) once it is safe to gather again. We dont know if it will be weeks or months from now, but know that we cant wait to celebrate with you when that time comes! We will keep you updated as things continue to evolve. We cant thank you enough for your love and support during this time! 

Sincerely,  

(Bride & Groom) 

Postponing a Bridal Shower

To the friends and family of (brides name),  

I regret to inform you that we have made the difficult decision to postpone (brides name)s bridal shower originally scheduled for (date/time/location) until further notice. We feel that this is the best way to proceed given the current status of the COVID-19 virus. We appreciate your understanding during this time of uncertainty. We do plan to have a bridal shower for (brides name) once it is safe to gather again. We will keep you updated as our plans evolve!  

Sincerely,  

(Host of the bridal shower) 

Canceling a Bridal Shower

To the friends and family of (brides name),  

I regret to inform you that we have made the difficult decision to cancel (brides name)s bridal shower originally scheduled for (date/time/location). We feel that this is the best way to proceed given the current status of the COVID-19 virus. We appreciate your understanding during this time of uncertainty.  

As (brides name) continues to prepare for married life, lets make sure she still feels the love we were going to give to her at the bridal shower. I have included the brides address below, should you want to send her your gift and an uplifting note.  

Brides Address: 

Again, thank you for your understanding and for showing our bride the love she so deserves!  

Sincerely,  

(Host of the bridal shower) 

*Note: The bridal shower statements can be edited for bachelor/bachelorette parties, however, these are typically less formal and this information can likely be communicated via text message or phone call.

What else should you do?

The next thing you should do is contact your wedding vendors (e.g., photographer, venues, cake decorator, DJ, etc.) and have an honest conversation with them about what can be done about postponing your wedding. We hope that they understand the uncertain and crazy circumstances, but know that they might be bound by a contract and some discussions may need to happen about how to proceed. This might be a good time to ask each vendor about future availability as well. It is possible that there will be many couples that try to reschedule their weddings for later in the year or early next year, and these vendors might book up for those dates!

How to protect your wedding dress and decor while you wait for the wedding

As of right now, it is looking like it could be several weeks or months before things return to normal. If you are like me, I had a room dedicated to all things wedding that was filled with candles, vases, and other items I was collecting for the wedding. I had things placed throughout the room, and looking back, I definitely should have organized them and stored them in a safer way. We recommend finding a way to store these items so they do not collect dust. Using storage containers and sheets to cover items might be a good way to do this!

Another major item that you will likely need to store is your wedding dress (or bridesmaid dresses). We have some tips below for safely storing these items without having them professionally preserved.

1. Use a cloth dress bag (such as the one provided by Ellens to Ellens brides) to keep dust from settling on the gown. 

2. Make sure that your dress is the only thing in the cloth dress bag. Remove tags, protective plastic that might have been placed over the dress or a veil, accessories, shoes, etc.

3. Store your dress in a climate-controlled location; be sure to avoid moisture, heat, or cold. 

4. Hang your dress (in the dress bag) if possible. If not, keep it in the dress bag and lay it flat.

5. If you are able to hang the dress, make sure that you use the sewn-in hanger loops and not just the straps of the gown.

We cant imaging what our couples are facing as they navigate postponing their weddings. We hope that unique and special stories come out of these times, and that this is just another page in their love story.

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