Couples across the globe are having to change their wedding plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This of course has a colossal effect on venues and suppliers, who have to adapt their services to work with their clients’ new situations.
Let us show you a recent survey with 350 couples who had planned for their weddings to take place between April and July of 2020, in order to help you decide what the best next steps are for you.
87% of couples are not going to cancel their wedding
This is great news! We believe that this is the best decision, as it would be such a shame to waste all of that dedication and excitement that has gone into organising your wedding. Don’t give up hope! There are many alternatives to cancelling your big day, such as postponing your wedding so that you can throw the most incredible celebration once all of this chaos is over!
Just over 75% of couples have chosen to postpone their wedding
The majority of couples appear to have chosen to reschedule their wedding date, with most of them continuing to host their new wedding day at the same venue with the same suppliers as originally planned. This proves that postponing your wedding is possible and much easier than you think, especially if you choose to get married at the same venue with the same services. This also means that your hard work won’t go to waste, and you will be crucially supporting your venue and suppliers after this situation has passed.
Just under 45% of postponed weddings have been moved to 2021
This is a sensible idea for couples who are desperate for a spring or summer wedding, outdoors or on a beach, for example. This means that you will not have to adapt the style of your wedding and ensures that your venue will still perfectly match your wedding theme. It is however worth mentioning that if you choose to move your wedding to the end of 2020, a winter wedding in a cosy setting with wood fires burning would be most charming!
One fifth of couples are planning on changing their wedding ceremony
Some couples have decided to modify their wedding ceremony, with many of these people choosing to get legally married at a registry office. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t hold a huge celebration once we have beaten this virus! Many couples are realising that they don’t want to wait to be legally married, and so they are planning on having a very small ceremony once they are able to, and then rescheduling their wedding celebration for a later date when they can get all of their friends and family together for an amazing party! You can still hold a symbolic ceremony in which you can exchange vows, so your original plans can still go ahead with a few small tweaks and at a later date.
11% of couples have chosen to keep their wedding date the same
There is a small amount of people who have decided to continue with their original plans because their weddings are due to take place later on in the summer. This of course does require you to constantly keep an eye on Government guidelines and could result in a last-minute change.
Just over 10% of couples are going to cancel their wedding
But this doesn’t mean that they will never get married! In some cases, COVID-19 has encouraged couples to have a rethink and prioritize different things. Many people have been affected financially by the situation and now need to adapt their future plans to work with their new circumstances. But on a happier note, some couples have decided that they would like to hold a bigger and better event now that family time and fun has become even more special, maybe even a at destination wedding, and so they have chosen to go back to the drawing board and completely reorganise their weddings.
The majority of honeymoons, stag and hen parties have been postponed
Just under half of the couples who participated in the survey were forced to change their plans for their hen parties, stag parties or honeymoon, as a result of the pandemic. On the bright side, many venues and holiday firms are offering the opportunity to easily reschedule your plans so that you can still have plenty of fun with your friends or just your partner once this situation has passed.
How can venues and suppliers support their couples?
During this time of uncertainty, couples are asking for more help and guidance from their wedding venue and suppliers so that they can make the best possible decision in terms of planning their wedding during COVID-19. Whilst more than 75% of couples have praised their suppliers for their cooperation and support, some people have been left wanting more assistance. Alongside maintaining communication and offering emotional support, couples have reported that they would like their venue and suppliers to have an easy accessible and up-to-date COVID-19 information page on their websites and social media, as well as instructions on how to get in touch with the firms during this time in order to rearrange plans. This works both ways, as couples can also work hard to support their suppliers and venues during this difficult time. It is important to remember that we are all in this together!
We hope that these statistics have helped you to make a decision if your wedding is planned to take place in the middle of the hysteria of COVID-19. As we have already mentioned, our best advice would be to postpone your wedding rather than cancel it, so that you can enjoy the best day of your lives once this chaos is over.
Here at Blog For Bride, we are ready to assist you in any way we can so that you feel most supported.