Brides eloping but postponing reception!!!

We have the same date but we have decided to postpone our big wedding to August 16! We still plan to elope just us two on our original date at his grandparents cabin irs very woodsy and beautiful outside!

IF we can't make our original plans happen for August 8th we plan to have a wedding that day with just our parents and the officiant. I will wear my wedding dress.
We would then have a reception next year. I would probably wear my wedding dress then again OR I will treat myself to a new one for all the stress lol. By that time it will have been 2 years since I bought my dress and I might want something else.

My friends did this last year. she wore two different dresses to her elopement and to her big reception later on.

Hey! I’m eloping in June 14 in Jamaica, but if our resort extends their closure until then, we are having a private ceremony (just the two of us) with our pastor at our church, closed or not.


I’m wearing my wedding dress to both my ceremony and reception (another location on June 27). I plan on wearing my dress that day too. We’re only having a reception to please our parents, so if it gets cancelled or postponed I could care less. If we can’t take our honeymoon in June, whenever we can go we’re taking our suit/dress to Jamaica to get pictures.

We are leaning towards this option, and I've been thinking about this too. These are the factors I'm considering.

1) Practicality. If you are switching from a church to a backyard or the beach to a courthouse, for example, is your dress still appropriate and practical? Ballgowns and dresses with long trains might be more difficult to pack into a backpack for a mountaintop elopement and if your dress has been hemmed to wear with heels, you might find that you want to wear different footwear or a different style depending on where your new ceremony takes place. If your original wedding plans included a bridal suite on site, is practical for you to get dressed at home and then get to your venue? Can you get into your dress on your own, or do you need help having your dress zipped or buttoned, and do you feel comfortable with having friends or family members in your home helping you dress amid this pandemic? My dress is lace with a long train and not something I want to smush into a backpack and I'm worried about the train snagging on concrete steps and such if I wore it outside. I also have no way to fan out the train without a helper, and I want my FH to see me in it for the first time it it's full glory.

2) Budget. Can you afford a second dress or entire second outfit? If I got a second dress it would be a more casual dress that I could also wear for the reception at our wedding or use for a rehearsal dinner or other event, and I'd make sure I can wear it with shoes I already own.

3) What happens between now and the "everyone" wedding. If you are pushing your date back, is there any worry your size or shape will change enough that the dress won't fit correctly or maybe try for a baby between your legal date and your party date? If your party date is during a different season, will your dress be appropriate then as well as now? If there is any chance you won't be able to wear your beautiful dress in the future, then I'd definitely make sure you wear it for your "now" ceremony, just so you don't miss out on the opportunity to wear it altogether. Personally, this is my biggest concern, as I am a little stressed about not knowing how long it will be before people can gather again and we can celebrate as a large group, and don't want to put off having a family indefinitely.

4) Wow factor and who you want to see you in that dress. I love the idea of my FH being "wowed" on the day we legally tie the know, so wearing something beautiful on that day is super important to me. However, if we marry now and then have our "wedding" later, I want that moment to be special too, so if I wore a different dress he would be surprised on both dates. Also, I'd really like our family/friends to see my dress as well (whether in photos or real life).

5) Photographs. I definitely want professional photos of me in my wedding dress, so if we cannot coordinate a pro-photographer for our legal marriage day I would be more apt to wear a simpler dress and save the fancy dress for when we do a big party and have the photographer present. I don't want to risk ruining my fancy dress before then.

I’m a 2021 bride, and I’m already thinking about eloping and having a reception later with family and friends. Though my date seems far away, I have a few reasons. 1) I have lots of family that are high risk, and we honestly don’t know when a vaccine will be out or this will die down. 2) Getting a dress and having it fitted. 3) Food tasting and menu selection at our venue. 4) Half of our guests are out of state. 5) Massive delays in my graduate research and my SO is trying to go back to school.
My STDs would go out around October or November, so I have time, but I think I’ve convinced myself....?!?! LOL I don’t know what I’m doing to be honest. But I guess I’ve opened up that can of worms.

Hi Mariah,

First, if I had the choice, I would've worn my dress twice!

Depending on where couples live, it sounds like some would like get married on their original wedding dates. However, their ability to do so hinges on marriage license availability. The county clerk's offices are closed in many places, but some offer licenses online. I recommend that you investigate your options.

It also seems like some May couples have postponed while others are waiting a bit longer to decide. Everyone's situation is different, but it never hurts to be proactive about plan B. Here are several discussions with May brides:

- May Wedding Postponed.

- Postponed our May wedding - the original post is about having a small ceremony in May and rescheduling for August

- Officially Postponed My May 30, 2020 Wedding Day - the bride is asking about rescheduling for August vs. May 2021

- May 2020 wedding + covid.

I also found another discussion with a KY bride from a few weeks ago. You may want to connect with Rebekah. It looks like she rescheduled from March to May. Check out: Corona

Hope this helps!

We postponed to June but even our June 20th date is questionable... Good luck with your plan and congratulations.

Did anyone get their marriage license before all of this chaos?