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Chloe
Devoted February 2022

Advice needed from all brides who have been through this

Chloe, on December 6, 2021 at 5:42 AM Posted in Planning 0 8
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I'm totally freaking out right now, because it seems like our February wedding won't be allowed to happen after all due to our local government's COVID restrictions (we live in southern Germany and the numbers are skyrocketing at the moment). Other option is, it may be allowed, but for a maximum of 50 guests and only if they are vaccinated and tested negatively on the day. We've decided that we're still getting married on that day, but it seems like we won't be able to throw the huge party we've been planning... And if we have to cancel and somehow manage to wiggle out of our venue contract, we might not want to keep postponing the party indefinitely.


So I'm preparing myself mentally for both versions (total cancellation or a maximum of 50 guests from over 100) and I really don't know how to explain it to our guests (about 60% are coming from abroad and we need to inform them asap). My question for any COVID brides who have been through the same: do you have any advice about how to inform our guests? Maybe an example of the messages you've sent when you had to cancel or postpone? Is there anything you would advise us to do or not to do?

8 Comments

Latest activity by Samantha, on December 9, 2021 at 9:19 AM
  • Lisa
    Rockstar July 2022
    Lisa ·
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    I'm sorry to hear about restrictions affecting your wedding! It's certainly frustrating. My fiance and I postponed our wedding from 2020 to 2022. We mailed out a Change Of Plans card to our guests, just stating that due to the pandemic, our wedding will not take place as originally planned, that we were working to reschedule, and that we would announce our new date soon. Here is a website that has some templates of letters you can send to your guests to announce the change of plans (it covers both of the scenarios - cancellation and downsize - that you are considering): https://theeverylastdetail.com/coronavirus-wedding-postponement-email-templates-to-send-to-guests/


    Almost all of our guests were very understanding. I would send something out ASAP, and would also maybe call those who are flying in so they can change their travel plans.
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  • Nicole
    Master September 2020
    Nicole ·
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    Advice needed from all brides who have been through this 1
    This is what we sent out the first time we postponed through text message/email. The second time, we sent out cards in the mail with our wedding picture (didn’t want to wait another year when the second date didn’t work out). When we ultimately canceled the reception, we called everyone.
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  • Chloe
    Devoted February 2022
    Chloe ·
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    Thank you for the link, those are some very good examples, I can definitely work with that. We're still waiting for the final government decision, but the new guidelines should be defined by the end of this week, and then we will contact everyone so that they can rearrange.
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  • Chloe
    Devoted February 2022
    Chloe ·
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    Wow, three times? I can't imagine having this whole reception mess hanging over my head for so long, this must have been so difficult for you!


    I love the idea of sending a little digital "card", thank you!
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  • A
    Super December 2020
    Anais ·
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    I had the opposite experience, my extended family is in Europe and when we got married, the US borders were closed to everyone coming from Europe.
    We just explained the situation and that we didn’t see it change. We instead decided to livestream the event and invited them to watch the livestream.
    That was very well received by all guests and we had so many of them watch the livestream. Highly recommend
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  • Samantha
    Super August 2022
    Samantha ·
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    My FFIL and FSIL are supposed to be going to northern Germany next month to visit FH's grandparents and other extended family and are most likely going to postpone or cancel their trip due to restrictions, so we get what you're going through even if it isn't from a wedding planning perspective! We're also hoping to go visit FH's family for our honeymoon in September, so all fingers and toes are crossed that we can go! We're waiting to book anything until later in 2022 just in case 😭

    I genuinely believe that everyone on your list will understand if you have to downsize. FH and I were cut from 3 2020 guest lists that had to downsize to under 50 people, and we still sent a gift and all our love. We watched the livestreams when available, and sent cards when they weren't. It's a global pandemic, it's an international crisis. If they aren't understanding, then honestly they aren't worth your energy right now.

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  • Chloe
    Devoted February 2022
    Chloe ·
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    Thanks! Let's hope that all this madness lifts until your honeymoon and you can go without any restrictions! September 2021 was pretty laid back without many restrictions, so I hope for you that next year will be the same or even better.
    What I'm really dreading is explaining to my pigheaded unvaccinated family members that they cannot attend either way, even if we do not have to cut the guest list, because the restrictions for those unvaccinated are pretty drastic.
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  • Samantha
    Super August 2022
    Samantha ·
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    Gosh, I didn't account for that part. Best of luck with that 😥

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