Wedding Postponed? Keeping Calm and Planning On
Updated: May 12, 2021
This season has been difficult for so many future brides and grooms. Several of my clients have had to postpone their special days, which absolutely breaks my heart. In chatting with these ladies, I've begun to notice a reoccurring theme. "We're not sure what to do with ourselves now... The wedding was just weeks away, so it feels weird planning for a new date five months later."
If your're like these ladies, feeling unsure about where to go from here, you are not alone. Planning may feel a bit confusing at the moment and that is entirely okay. If you and your partner don't feel comfortable or excited to continue wedding planning, give yourself grace and take a break. Delete your Pinterest app and put away the to-do lists for a bit. Take your time and regroup when you are ready. Once you're looking toward the future and decide you want to start planning again, consider starting with these four ways to keep the wedding excitement rolling!
1. Pump Up the Jams - Prepare Your Playlists
This first one may feel a little random, but music is a fantastic way to boost your spirit! I'm a firm optimist and nothing puts you in a good mood quite like selecting all of your favorite songs. Start by creating a playlist for all the wedding moments you'll want music for. The rehearsal dinner, getting ready, first dances, and reception are great places to start with. Choose a few key songs you want played or complete the entire playlist start to finish!
In my last blog post, I talked about my fiancé Jordan and I making the decision to postpone our wedding. We decided to keep planning and put our focus toward finding our first dance song. We landed on a Boyce Avenue cover of Wanted by Hunter Hayes. We chatted about how the song was on one of the many burned CDs I made for Jordan when we were 16. Reminiscing and selecting our first dance song was such a special moment, even through everything going on.
If you and your sweetheart start working on your playlists, let me know what songs you add! I highly recommend Whitney Houston and Usher for the dance party portion of the night.
2. Show Your Gratitude - Order Thank You Gifts
The second tip is such a great one to get started early! If you plan to order any gifts for your wedding party or parents, now is the perfect time. Now that you have a bit more time before the big day, take advantage and consider customizing the gifts online. You can also purchase fun wrapping paper and thank you cards that match the wedding colors. Write an individual note to each person and you're all set to go! It is such a great feeling to have this task completed.
The gifts for our wedding are patiently sitting on a shelf, just waiting. I can share what we got everyone in a later blog post, once they have been gifted and opened! I'm linking a few other great thank you cards and gift wrapping below.
Bridesmaid Proposal and Thank You Cards
Team Bride and Groom Gift Bags
3. Share Your Stories - Personalize Your Website
The third task isn't necessary, but it is something fun to work on. If you haven't already, consider creating a wedding website. The Knot, Minted, and Zola all offer free versions you can easily create from home.
If you've already created a website, take time to add a few more details. In my first blog post, I shared that Jordan and I wrote the story of our proposal for a keepsake. Try connecting with your future spouse by each writing a few stories about your relationship and uploading them to your site. You could add how you met, your first date, the proposal - any cute stories you want to share! Photos of your relationship are always an added bonus too.
Your guests will love reading personal and funny stories about the two of you. Try including extra details you may have typically skimmed over.
You can visit mine and Jordan's wedding website for throwbacks as early as 2010: https://balfanzkoblitzwedding.minted.us/
4. Order of Events - Start the Timeline
This final tip can get a little tricky, but you will be so thankful you started early! If you can, begin thinking of anything and everything that will need to happen at a specific time on your wedding day. Create a master list of all events and don't forget to contact your hair and makeup artists to assist in organizing the getting-ready portion of the day. A wedding timeline is a beast to tackle all at once, so starting early is a great way to get ahead and keep planning during this awkward time.
One last reminder - this may feel like a confusing time for those with special events. If you and your partner don't feel up to wedding planning, step back and take a swing at things down the road. Remember, this wedding is about celebrating your love and joining together as one. Small acts like the four mentioned above are a great way to raise levels of excitement again and keep looking toward the future. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, I promise.
P.S. If you haven't already heard the news, Jordan and I decided to move our wedding from Florida in May to La Crosse this September! We are both way too excited and couldn't imagine holding off the wedding for another full year. No matter where the world is then, we will be saying our vows to one another and WE CANNOT WAIT! Above is a quick snapshot from the first meeting with our new venue last week. Up next, menu tasting in July!