Wedding replanning due to the Coronavirus can be very hard do deal with!
Before we begin, we have to say this:
Wedding couples of 2020, you deserve all the praise and support in the world right now!
The uncertainty of the situation and your wedding plans not turning out they way you planned them (at all!) is definitely a lot to handle!
Are you wondering how to cope with it?
We decided to talk to our couples who were supposed to get married this spring. We asked the brides if they’d like to share what they were going through. Also, we asked them about the different ways they were handling the situation and if they’d offer some helpful tips.
They all said YES!
Story 1: Katie and Charl
To say that Katie and Charl are in a very unique situation at the moment, would be an understatement.
As Charl moved across the country before the wedding, they had planned on seeing each other at the wedding and afterwards Katie would move across the country to join him.
At the time of cancelling the wedding, they had not seen each other for over a month. It has now been exactly 3 months they haven’t seen each other.
We’re currently in the process of replanning their wedding for January 28, 2021.
Katie agreed to do a Q & A session with us as it may help other couples going through replanning.
Here it is:
Q: First of all we’d love to know how you and Charl met?
Katie: Charl and I met at a friend’s BBQ. Although it wasn’t love at first sight it seemed as though fate would consistently had our paths cross. We soon became close friends and with Charl pulling every fancy trick in the book, it was inevitable that I would fall for someone just as stubborn as I was! 🙂
Q: How did you end up choosing Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic for your destination wedding?
Katie: We chose Punta Cana because we felt it met all of our requirements – sunny, unique tropical location, a short flight away from Canada. The wedding planning lasted a year and a half and we were finally going to get married on April 16, 2020. But only a month away in the process of finalizing everything, the Coronavirus pandemic started spiralling our of control.
Q: When was the first moment you realized that your wedding plans may be affected?
Katie: My family and friends were remaining strong and optimistic but after the 5th phone call asking me if the plane was going to be sanitized and if we were still going…. well, I started to clue into reality.
Q: When did it become obvious that you will definitely need to do wedding replanning due to the Coronavirus? What was going through your head?
Katie: We were one month from the wedding date, my fiancee had called me in a panic “groomzilla” state.
Usually he is the calm one in the storm so I knew when he said “No, it’s not going to be fine” I’d have to figure out a solution. At this point I was not able to imagine the idea of rescheduling. I was absolutely devastated, a year and a half of planning felt like it had completely gone down the drain.
Q: What helped you remain positive? Who was and is your biggest support through this?
Katie: My bridesmaids helped bring me back to reality and look at everything logically. Although my fiancee was supportive, it was good to have someone outside the situation to help focus on the import details.
Q: How did you decide on a new wedding date ? What was everything you needed to take into account to make this decision?
Katie: Our main issue was working around the photographer’s and the immediate family’s work schedule. Aside from that we also wanted to pick a date that would give us the best weather in Punta Cana. I also communicated with my vendors as I was trying to figure out my options. I didn’t want to select a new date to find it wasn’t available.
Q: How did you inform your friends and family about the new plans?
Katie: At the time everyone was messaging and calling me at the same time, so it was difficult to handle. A bridesmaid helped me create a simple detailed message to convey to the guests and update them as we went through the process of selecting a new date.
Q: Are your new wedding plans different from the original one? If yes, how so?
Katie: We will probably add some more bells and whistles but aside from that – we’re sticking with our original wedding theme and plans.
Q: Is there something that you as a couple have learnt from this experience?
Katie: Read the fine print for everything in case the unexpected happens! And when the whole world turns upside down and out of control, just grab some popcorn and try to have a laugh! One of these days we will look back and laugh…
Q: If you could say 3 things to encourage other couples affected by the Coronavirus and in the process of replanning their weddings, what would you say?
Katie:
- Wedding replanning due to Coronavirus is stressful. Give yourself time to process and grieve the situation.
- Be patient with your guests as they will be stressed and may unknowingly put that onto you.
- Know that when you pick a new date it will make the situation a lot easier to cope with.
We hope you find Kate and Charl’s story inspiring.
We’d like to thank Katie for sharing their experience and we’re looking forward to their wedding day.
It’s going to be amazing!
————————————————————————————-
