Your Wedding Stationery and COVID-19

30 Apr

Hello!

There has been many blogs and articles written about weddings and COVID-19 and how to go about postponing your wedding or changing the date. As a 2020 bride to be myself, I am also keeping a very close eye on these articles, and hoping that the restrictions will have been lifted by September! I thought I would write something here specifically about your wedding stationery, and how that relates to your potentially changed wedding day.

Whether you are changing your date completely, waiting another year to get married on a similar date or altering your wedding to a smaller gathering, it SUCKS. There is no two ways about it. I’m in the position where I can’t ‘see’ my dream wedding day anymore, if that makes sense? We had it all planned and now we are in complete limbo, so I just can’t imagine what our day will look like now, and that uncertainty is the killer. However, the most important thing to remember (and what I am focusing on) is that you are getting married to the love of your life, and that the marriage is the important part and not necessarily the wedding. It is so easy to get caught up in the fact that your wedding day may not look like you imagined it, but at the end of the day, none of that really matters. Your marriage is what matters.

Having said that, a good ugly cry about it is totally acceptable, and therapeutic!

Listed below are a few pieces of advice for you to follow and some actionable steps that you can take to inform your guests of your decisions.

1. Contact your Wedding Stationery Designer

In relation to wedding stationery, there are many different possible scenarios couples may be in; you have your wedding stationery booked but not designed yet, you have your stationery printed but not sent yet (me!), or you have your stationery printed, sent and now have to change the date. In all of these cases, I can guarantee you that your designer is more that happy to help you out. Whether that means designing and sending out a ‘change the date’ card, re-booking you for a different date, or simply giving you their best advice on what to do, I would reach out to your stationer if you are in any way unsure. The wedding industry is a tight-knit community, especially here in Ireland. If it is the case that your designer cannot re-book you for a different date, they will absolutely be able to point you in the right direction of another fantastic designer that will be able to help you.

2. Use Downloadable Graphics to Announce your New Date

Lots of wedding stationery companies are offering free downloadable ‘change the date’ graphics for couples to use, or are offering a significant discount to print them. I am offering ‘change the date’ cards at cost price for all my couples, just email me here.

3. Include a Change the Date Card

If, like me, you have your stationery printed, but have held off posting them and now need to change the date, why not add in a printed ‘Change the Date’ card? There is no need for people not see your beautiful wedding invitations! Also, from a budget point of view, getting your invitations printed again just to rectify the date is a huge cost.

4. How to word a Change the Date Card

If you have to write a Change of Date card, or are unsure of how to word it, my advice would be to keep it simple. Don’t elaborate or give lengthy details. Everyone is dealing with COVID-19 right now, so a long-winded explanation is just not needed. If you want to reference it, maybe try something like ‘due to unforeseen circumstances...’ or ‘for the health of those closest to us...’.

5. If You Don’t Have a New Date

If you don’t have a new date set yet, again, keep it simple with a note, rather than a formal ‘Change the Date’ announcement. Whether this note is emailed, messaged or announced on social media to your guests, they will appreciate that you are thinking of them and keeping them informed during this time. Try something like ‘for the health and safety of those closest to us, we have decided to reschedule our wedding. A new date will be announced soon. We are looking forward to celebrating with you when the time comes. Love, [Name One] and [Name Two].

6. How to Un-invite Guests to your Wedding

If you have already sent out your invitations, and are now considering a much smaller gathering for your wedding, you may need to ‘un-invite’ some guests from your wedding. This is obviously not a fun job, and should be done with some sensitivity. That being said, people will understand the situation – this is a global pandemic, everyone knows the restrictions. Sending a tailored message or email to each guest/couple, or a personalized card would be my advice. Again, keep it simple and don’t overload the message with details and apologies. Your guests will understand as they are also dealing with COVID-19, in their own way.

For example, ‘Dear [Guest One] and [Guest Two], due to the health and safety of our loved ones, we have decided to downsize our wedding to comply with recent Government regulations. We were so excited to celebrate with you, but due to these unforeseen circumstances, we have had to significantly alter our guest list to only include immediate family and the wedding party. Once restrictions are completely lifted, we are planning a big party and would love to celebrate with you then! Details of this event will be shared with you as soon as possible. Love, [Name One] and [Name Two].’

I hope these snippets of advice have helped you in some way, and please do reach out if you have any questions regarding your wedding stationery. I’m here to help, and as a fellow bride to be, a shoulder to cry on!

Dee