As we have traversed through this year, we have all experienced major stress and worries in our lives, and weddings have been no small part of that. Well, good news! Weddings are the closest they’ve been to normal since early March and it is time to start planning again.

First things first, do you have your revised date ready?

If you and your partner made the hard decision to postpone your wedding, you’re not alone. Experts are predicting that around 60% of couples chose to postpone their wedding during the pandemic and many will rebook for 2021. While this is great, 2020-postponed couples are now competing with 2021 couples for their dates, their vendors and their venues.

So, before you get any further into your wedding planning, you need to have a new date selected and booked in. If you have your heart set on a particular vendor, such as your photographer or caterer, speak with them to check their availability for your new date first. I suggest being ready with three or more dates in mind in case your first choice is no longer available. Based on this, approach the other vendors or venues and see if their availability lines up. Always ask for three or so dates from each that suit you until you find one that matches all your key preferences.

If you find that a lot of your preferred vendors are already booked out, don’t panic. There will never be a shortage of wedding vendors and we are looking to refill our calendars for the coming years. Simply start the process of looking for more options and sending out enquires. To expedite this process, I suggest having a generic email template – with a generic greeting and thanks – saved that you can copy and paste when inquiring with vendors. Be sure to include the following information:

• Your names
• Your wedding date and time
• Your wedding location – ceremony and reception
• Any inspiration photos you have

The only key piece of special information you’ll need to adjust in each email is what you want (hair and makeup, flowers, cake) and how many or much you want (three bridesmaids and the bride, four bouquets and six buttonholes, enough to feed 100 people canape slices).
If you find that some vendors are taking a while to respond, that’s okay, it may mean that they are focused on another wedding right now or they have received lots of other enquires and are working to sort through them. You will hear a response as soon as they are able.

Once your vendors are locked in, you’re on the home stretch.

Now it’s time to contact all your friends and family and update them on your new wedding date (make sure to include the dress code and location information if they have changed). Remember, RSVPs need to be sent to venues no less than 3-4 weeks before the big day, however, each venue has it’s own procedures so read the fine print to be sure.

The fun parts!

• Decide on a honeymoon plan; will you find somewhere local or national to visit or will you choose to wait until the borders are open to travel somewhere else? An at-home honeymoon can be just as special if you make it special. Splurge on a fancy dinner, glamp in your backyard (like this lovely example by Glamping Hire Co) or head out for a theme-park day! The options are endless if only you’re willing to look and get creative.
• Dress and suit fittings for yourselves and your bridal party should be done, even if they were completed earlier. Sizing and weight can fluctuate during stressful times and you don’t want to realise too late that something no longer fits properly.
• Book in your rehearsal with all the important parties: venue, celebrant, wedding coordinator, and else anyone participating in the ceremony such as parents, bridal party or speakers.
• Finalise any personal touches such as hair appointments, jewellery and accessories, family dinners etc.

Last step of your wedding planning

Hire an on-the-day coordinator. You have just stressed and worked through a whole year or more of wedding craziness and you do not want to have to do the same on your wedding day. Some venues supply these as part of your package which is a great bonus. By having a wedding coordinator, all you have to do is eat while getting ready and show up to the ceremony. Your coordinator will run the show while you enjoy yourself, from managing vendors to dealing with irritating family members: they have it covered.

Guess what? You’re now wedding-ready!

Until next time, keep making your special moments unforgettable x

P.S. If any of the processes we’ve mentioned above sound overwhelming, feel free to reach out for a free consultation to help you get back on track with your planning; just mention this blog post when you contact us!

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