It’s so sad how many weddings are being postponed due to Covid19.
Some couples make the best of the situation and take comfort in knowing that being in love is more precious than having the perfect party on the date they have chosen.
Others get incredibly stressed and don’t know where to start when it comes to the practical matters of postponing their wedding.
Whether you are planning your own wedding, are a wedding planner or just a wedding expert keeping an eye on the latest developments in wedding planning, we bring you a blog post featuring one of the latest trends in wedding stationery: “Change the Date” Cards.
As many couples find themselves in the situation that they need to notify their wedding guests about a wedding postponement, wedding stationery responded quickly by creating various new stationery items such as “Change the Date” cards or “Change of Plan” announcements.
We will also look at simple options such as sending e-mails or calling all relatives and friends by phone. You will also read about a real-life wedding postponement, as Lucy, a bride-to-be, shares her story with us, telling us that “The wellbeing of our nearest and dearest was far more important to us than the ceremony”.
Change the Date Cards
The advantage of “Change the Date” cards is that couples don’t need to worry that the new date will not be duly noted. Let’s be honest, if you call all your relatives and friends with a new date, how many are likely to call back asking what the new date was? There are practical issues to consider though. Sending out an electronic notification might be a safer option, given the current circumstances.
If you decide to go ahead with stylish printed announcements, these can be ordered from any wedding stationery supplier, as long as they offer a bespoke service. The images of “Change the Date” stationery sets you can see on the left hand side are a courtesy of a well-known International supplier Hochzeitsplaza, based in Hamburg, Germany.
If you scroll down, you will see more examples of change the date cards, this time by various independent Etsy suppliers. It’s incredible how many new designs are appearing online. The selection of printed announcements that can be ordered online from various sellers is wide, from simple & humourous to elegant & handmade cards.
Change the Date Cards by Etsy Sellers:
Humourous Corona Beer “LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN” Cards by East View Designs >>>
Elegant Matching Invitation Set (Save the Date or Change the Date) By Feel Good Invites >>>
Woodland Save the Date or Change the Date Magnets by Jess Harrington Design >>>
Simple Options
Given the circumstances, couples don’t need to be worried that they might disappoint their guests by not following the etiquette. Even with traditional weddings where printed wedding invites are usually expected, any solution is acceptable. Sending e-mails, social media messages or calling friends and relatives by phone is a great solution. It might be a good idea to ask for an acknowledgement that the message has been received, especially when it comes to elderly guests who get confused easily or are not likely to check their e-mails. In the ideal case, the couple will already have a mailing list and / or a wedding website and updates and notifications will be easy to send.
And finally, we saved the best for last…. a real life story about couple in love, sharing their journey with us. Feel free to leave a comment for Lucy and Gill below.
Real Life Story
When Gill proposed, we both had the same thought: Let’s get married in Italy.
Over the following 18 months we visited venues, dealt with bureaucracy, overcame language barriers and bought my dress. Everything was relatively hiccup free.
Until the middle of March.
Italy was being hammered by the coronavirus outbreak. The number of cases and deaths kept increasing everyday, especially in the regions that surrounding our wedding venue.
It was heartbreaking, but we kept hoping it would all blow over. We discussed the situation almost daily for weeks on end, considering a postponement before hoping for the best.
But then we discovered that our wedding venue had closed. All our plans began to disintegrate like wet crepe paper.
The same night, we realised we had no choice but to postpone our dream wedding. Sat in the kitchen, we drafted a WhatsApp message to all our guests (who had booked flights and hotels) and broke the news. We explained the situation and how disappointed we were, but that we had no alternative.
It sounds odd, but that was the point at which things calmed down for us. The decision was no longer our own and there was nothing more we could do about it. The wellbeing of our nearest and dearest was far more important to us than the ceremony.
Since then, our friends and family have been amazingly supportive. They all responded saying how sorry they were for us and offering help and support – and that they can’t wait until we can do it for real.
But, if I’m being totally honest, we don’t have a new date; with the situation shifting so quickly beneath our feet, we’ve decided to wait until the summer to consider making new plans. We’d love to say, ‘let’s book in a date for next April’, but we don’t feel certain about that yet. We’ll just have to wait and see.
If you’re in a similar position, I recommend communicating with your guests once you’ve made a decision, rather than having to backtrack or change your mind. Just send one message that clearly explains the situation, what you’re planning to do and how it affects them. I guarantee they’ll be supportive of your decision.
by Lucy Mowatt, Content Marketing Consultant, Method Marketing (www.methodmarketing.org)
The wedding industry can be very innovative so I’m not surprised at this new trend of “Change the Date” announcements. I’m a videographer and had two weddings get cancelled this month due to the virus. It’s tough. A lot of planning, stress, and money go into making one day run smoothly. Even though this is a crappy situation, couples who had to “change the date” should know that they aren’t alone, and the important thing is that they, and their friends and family, are safe.
I’ve seen lots of couples changing their wedding day. It is so devastating for them, the plans,the dreams they had,the honeymoon plans have to be canceled.
I have a friend who has a invitation business who had to make those changing the date cards.
I am glad a calm came over you. And yes, nearest and dearest take priority. It’s such a big change for us all.
For any plan, well-thought-out, a change of date can be harrowing. Your ideas are both cute and practical.
One of my friends marriage dates postponed one day before their wedding. They struggled financially because the booked stuffs never returned the money.
This is such a helpful article! I had two friends who were affected by COVID-19 and had to move their wedding and reception. Love the Etsy templates as well. Sending this to my girlfriends.
that’s so good that a calm has come over you! and these change the dates are so clever and cute. i hope these are helpful for a lot of your readers.
I am sorry that you are going through this right now. We had some concerns with our wedding as we got married a few weeks after 9/11/2001. I had one friend who got married 5 days after 9/11! There was some discussion about canceling ceremonies because we didn’t know what was coming next. Ultimately, we were able to get married — in a different world — but the ceremonies were lovely. You will get married too — maybe in a different world — but it will happen!
this is such a cute idea. you do what you gotta do. i have friends that are getting married in early july and they may have to postpone it a little.
This is such a tough time; there must be so many engaged couples that have to change their plans this year. Change the dates are a great way to get in touch with people and notify them of your plans.
Our wedding should also scheduled this year. but we need to postpone it. It’s okay. 🙂 It’s for everyone…
That Change the Date card with Corona beer look funny and cute, however, I might think twice in using it. I don’t want to be accused by this company as misinterpretation.
It’s so sad that so many weddings are being postponed, especially in the case of Italy (which is an epic wedding destination) Hope things will get better soon!
I know a lot of people have Change the Dates. It’s going to be ok as long as the couple gets married it will be ok!
This is a wonderful idea. I was planning to hold my engagement in May.. but a date wasn’t decided. However, even we are postponing it unofficially.
Hopefully, all the weddings that have been moved due to this pandemic are able to have a great day
I can’t imagine having to change the date for a wedding. What a bummer. These are some cute ideas for date change cards though.