I know, it took SO much work to finalize all of those vendors, gather up those RSVP’s, and the thought of turning all of this upside down makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry. I totally understand! Let’s work together to simplify this process for you. The first thing to make sure you remember is prioritizing. I know the reality that some of your original vendors may not be available on your new date can be really upsetting, but there are SO many amazing vendors out there, and chances are, if your original vendors aren’t available, they’d be happy to recommend you some other great ones! So, let’s break this down into some easy, manageable steps:

1) Contact your vendors first: make a list of all of your vendors, and after that, rank these vendors starting from the ones you absolutely can’t imagine your wedding without, and working backwards. For instance, maybe you just can’t picture your ceremony/reception anywhere else but the venue you’ve chosen, or you’ve formed a really strong relationship with your photographer and he/she just has to be the one to capture your day. I would recommend narrowing this down to your top 3-5, and try to find a date that aligns with your top 3-5 vendors. That way, it’s a little more manageable to find a new date! 

2)Try not to panic too much about the RSVP’s: I know it goes without saying, but really, no one had any way of planning for this. While it’s possible that some of your guests may not be able to make your new date, chances are that some of your guests that couldn’t make your old date can make your new date! Re-planning your guest list will take some work, but it’s totally doable. Just remember that you are still loved and celebrated even if a few of your original guests may not make it to your new date.

3) Find a way to still celebrate your original wedding day! That day will always hold a special meaning and when the day comes, it’s still worth celebrating, even in a small way! Here are a couple of ideas on how to do this:

• Plan a brunch with your fiancé and a few family members
• Have a simple date night with your fiancé! You can have a picnic at a park, order in and set up a special dinner at home
• Write each other letters about how much you’re looking forward to your actual wedding day (I think this would be such a special keepsake!)

4) Use this extra time to finalize any details that may have fallen through the cracks. You know what’s the ultimate wedding planning gift? Time! I know that having to postpone your plans and start from scratch may seem like anything but positive, but believe me, I really wish I had some extra time when I was planning my wedding! Having extra time to plan is only going to make your day even more special. Another thing to use the extra time for? Staying on top of your thank you notes – this can get so overwhelming towards the end, so having some extra time will definitely help you to make sure you’re getting these all taken care of.

5) If you love checklists as much as I do, you’ll probably love this one from Zola! You can use this one as a starting point or a guide for your own checklist!

All in all, I really hope this helps you find a starting point if you had to postpone your big day. I can’t imagine how stressful and overwhelming everything must feel right now, but remember: your wedding day will still be the beginning of the rest of your entire lives together – you still have your fiancé and the relationship and love you have is such a blessing! No postponed wedding can take that away from you. All the best, friend!