Did what you say? That is: (C)hanging (O)ur (V)ery (I)mportant (D)ate
(totally ripped from another cute photo op I saw on FB!)
I wanted to attempt give everyone some encouragement through providing a positive postponement story - especially those on the fence or very anxious about the implications changing your date. In the end, ALL will work out the way it is meant to be. You and your FS will get married and have some great stories to tell the grandkids one day. Ultimately, this whole thing is supposed to be about the marriage and not just the wedding - right? (Although, I don't fault you for wanting an amazing day, we all do!)
So, our wedding was set for May 16th in NC. My FH and I were adamant about continuing on, even if it meant we downsized our wedding. Within the last month, we both canceled our bachelor/bachelorette trips and bridal shower, so this was the last we had to hold onto. We live in VA and this week, the governor issued a stay-at-home order through June 10th. Queue the madness! My FH and I jumped into gear and reached out to our venue trying to figure out available dates in 2020, so that we could get married soon without eloping and doing a party later (FH was not with that type of plan AT ALL). The only dates left? A bunch of Thursdays, a few Summer Fridays, a few Sundays, and the Saturdays no one wants (after Thanksgiving and Christmas)... So, we picked August 21st and got to calling our vendors. EVERYTHING transferred so smoothly! We are so blessed that our entire vendor team changed to our new date, with no additional fees. Actually, because we chose a Friday in the summer, we were able to save $1500! Our photographer's only date for the rest of this year happened to be our weekend! It was amazing how this day was so open for all our vendors, and they were all so understanding. Our DOC is even offering free full-planning services to CoronaBrides if this happens again and assistance if we lose vendors. Although we aren't having our dream outdoor Spring wedding, at least we got to keep our vendor team and will have a lovely indoor ceremony out of the steamy NC heat! I cannot describe the level of stress now off our shoulders not having to hold onto a sadly dying dream.
I'm explaining all this to say... it is a sad time, and you might grieve your day (you have that right, I had a moment too), but the time, place, and people that become a part of your day are meant to be. I encourage those that haven't figured it out, or are in the midst of this to take a breath, lean on your FS for support, and remember the reason behind the wedding. This isn't just your county, your state, or your country. This is impacting the whole world, so just know you are absolutely not alone! You can and will do this!
tl;dr Our Change-the-Date worked out and yours will too, just try and keep positive!
