i need you, August 2020 Brides.

August 8 wedding in New England. We just selected a tentative Plan B date of Sept 2021 with our venue. I think we are leaning towards still getting married on our date but celebrate next September. It became clear to us we were putting our loved ones in a very difficult situation. And I don’t want people to remember my wedding day as the day they were so stressed out about contracting COVID-19 that they couldn’t enjoy themselves. We had put too much $ and planning into it to have that be the ultimate outcome... So we are now starting to accept that we will just have to have two anniversaries!

August 14th wedding- We are hopeful that things will be ok by then but have already talked to our venue and some of our vendors about pushing it out to Aug of 2021. Our plan B is to do a small ceremony with immediate family and a "vow renewal" of sorts ceremony & reception a year later. We are at the point where we are hopeful but are concerned about our size (200 or so), and our family & friends feeling safe to attend our wedding - we don't want people not coming because they are concerned for their safety and that's our biggest concern right now. Luckily our venue and most of our vendors have been super flexible in our talks of postponing, but others have not been and that is very frustrating especially with everything going on, and their lack of being flexible. We are waiting until June 1 or so to make a final decision. SUPER happy to have found this group though to hear what everyone else's plans are for August and look forward to staying connected as people make decisions in the next few weeks to move forward or not!

I don’t know what to do. My venue said they wouldn’t allow us to reschedule to next year which is really awful and they are still requiring we pay for 150 people even if our governor mandates don’t allow for that. Quite frankly I’m shocked, we are small business owners as well and would never do that to our clients. We would end up losing 5k. I’m in NJ and it’s really bad here over 100k cases and 6k deaths. Our venue is allowing postponement to 2020 dates only and I don’t see it being safe this year. Anyone in NJ?

View Quoted Comment Omg That is terrible! I’d honestly pick a date in December. We are leaning towards that as well. A winter wedding may not be what you envisioned but I suspect things will be under control! I don’t actually agree that the “second wave” will be worse. I have faith we will be more prepared, and that many will have developed immunity 🙏🏼

Following this. As things are getting closer I am very nervous on when I should decide to postpone if it comes down to it. My date is 8/22/2020 and I'm getting so anxious.

View Quoted Comment I was nervous at first too. Now I'm pretty sure we're going to end up postponing and the idea has grown in me. If it means keeping our loved ones safe, its worth it. Our new date will be in August next year.

August 22, 2020 bride here! I am trying to remain optimistic. My fiancée and I decided that June 15th would be the day we decide to postpone or proceed as scheduled. Luckily Ohio, where our wedding is, is doing relatively okay. I’m trying to stay positive but it is hard.

Any California brides here? What are you doing for your August wedding? Are you thinking of a set date to decide whether to postpone or carry through? So conflicted and nervous.

August 21, 2020 here and still going on as planned. In fact made out a bunch more invites this morning. I am going to call the venue and reach out to wedding planner. I haven’t heard a word from her in 10 wks. Not that’s scary!!! Ready to just have it done and over with. Second marriage and last for both FH and I. Worst case scenario we still are married w out the big hoopla afterwards. Best of luck to all of us Keep healthy!!!

My wedding is also August 21 in MA. I'm going crazy. We already rescheduled from May 30. Our venue is refusing to move any brides to 2021 and will require everyone to pay the 125 person minimum, no matter how many guests we are legally allowed to have. I told them that our family was concerned about gathering because my future uncle-in-law passed away from the virus. I didn't even get an email back to that... I'm so angry I don't even want to have the wedding there but we've already paid them 50% of the wedding. I've spoken to other brides at the same venue that are also very mad. I understand business decisions are tough but being a little empathetic would go a long way I'm just so sad about it all.

View Quoted Comment

We live in SD and we're also getting married down here. We're also trying to decide what to do, so we are watching the news and if restrictions don't really change in the next 2-3 weeks, we will postpone. We only have our venue, photographer and my dress so far (and both vendors have agreed to a soft hold for a date next August), and don't really want to sign anymore vendors if we decide to postpone. If we do, it'll probably be a little easier than if we had everything set in stone. I also work in healthcare as a device rep and I was talking to a nurse today that mentioned that in-hospital cases are still increasing which has me thinking that things won't be changing in the next few weeks. And based on CA's response to stay at home orders, I really doubt that gatherings of 100-150 will be allowed by August. I wish that wasn't the case, but I'm trying to be realistic. I'm so torn because what if we postpone and then everything IS open by August? Will I feel bad and wish that I had kept our original plan? Or will the elimination of stress be worth it to just go ahead and postpone? AHHH I hate being in this in-between right now!!

View Quoted Comment You literally took everything I’m feeling and put it into words! Feels good to know I’m not the only one feeling that way. We’re actually getting married in SD too in August... I’m so torn and conflicted since everything is booked and deposits are paid. Vendors are ignoring my calls and texts for now which is making me even more anxious. I’m thinking of waiting to let May play out and decide then. It just sucks because so many of us brides look forward to this day and the months preceding it with such joy and excitement and the current circumstances have robbed me of that same joy 😭.

View Quoted Comment

Yes, I agree 100%. And you are definitely not alone!! I'm a huge stress ball right now scouring the news for any hint of what August will look like. I can't imagine what it's like to have uncooperative vendors; I'm so sorry you're having to deal with that. I personally can't take a whole other month in limbo, so I bet we will be making a decision in the next two weeks. I feel the same way about feeling robbed of the joy. Yes, its just a wedding and not life-or-death; but at the same time, its our freakin wedding!! One of the biggest, most pivotal days of our lives and now it won't go on as planned, which honestly just sucks. Good luck, girl! I'm here if you need some support!!

View Quoted Comment Mine is the same day as yours... have you decided to postpone or keep the same date since it is May now?

View Quoted Comment We are keeping the same date so far. the venue hasn’t reached out to us about postponing, they actually scheduled my final detail meetings and rehearsal. I keep in contact with my other vendors though too, and they all said to wait until it’s closer. I’m guessing we’ll know more by June, we are in CT. What have you guys decided?

View Quoted Comment Hi! What if you start tweeting and calling them out with poor rating reviews like yelp, Google, Wedding Wire, the Knot...all of them! I mean I'm not advocating that we ruin businesses (because of a pandemic NO ONE saw coming) but these venues should know just as much as any other business how important it is to maintain a reputable image and relationships with their clients, even when things don't go as planned. I guarantee that if enough brides voice their concerns in the public arena, you may see some change. A smart venue will get ahead of this and be flexible. Once this over, new brides will be looking for new venues and reading reviews. No one is going to spend money somewhere after reading a review of how a venue didn't manage Covid issues properly. You have nothing to lose at this point! Good luck.

View Quoted Comment I am in CT too...8/28 and moving ahead as planned! Fingers crossed for you!

View Quoted Comment

That's basically what I am doing! I'm a total mess right now, and don't know what to do. I expected these months to be the happiest and most exciting moments of my life and they've been filled with anxiety!

Have your vendors gotten back to you and if so, what have they said? My wedding is in SD too, so I am just curious, lol! (I'm basically hoping for any glimmer of hope lol).

View Quoted Comment I am so sorry to hear that!! I just emailed my venue today to ask about options, since my dad lives in another and he’s paying for the wedding. The country he lives in is looking to ban all international travel for the year!

View Quoted Comment I’m the same date as you and also in Ohio!! Filled with anxiety as I just don’t know what to do. It’s so hard to stay positive. And I don’t want to make a decision and then we get to July and everything is fine. It’s so hard!!