Getting married is a monumental experience in life. It’s a day many people look forward to and dream about for years. However, with the pandemic, wedding planning has become a little more challenging than it once was.
While you may have many ideas for your big day, COVID can be unpredictable and could cause problems during your planning process. From sick family members to venue cancellations, there are many aspects of your wedding that COVID could ruin.
You may not be able to avoid every possible complication, but there are some ways you can ensure your wedding runs smoothly, even in a post-COVID world.
Make Sure You Purchase Wedding Insurance to Cover Lost Costs
Many people don’t think of wedding insurance when planning their big day. However, when you’re spending large amounts on your venue, food, and decorations, having insurance to cover those costs can make a big difference.
Options like AAA wedding insurance can be a lifesaver during these uncertain times. If you or your soon-to-be spouse catch COVID right before your ceremony, you will ultimately have to cancel or postpone your celebration.
Rather than losing out on all the money you’ve spent on deposits, wedding insurance can provide you coverage to get your money back. Since many people spend a lot of money on their weddings, this reimbursement can mean the difference between losing thousands of dollars or putting them back in your pocket.
Read the Fine Print in Your Contracts
When hiring a service or booking a venue, you will typically be required to sign a contract. This document ensures you will receive what you are paying for, and the provider will receive their payment.
Before signing, you must read the fine print in your contracts. Since the pandemic began, many vendors have altered their contracts to accommodate potential COVID-related problems. However, not all vendors have.
That’s why reading the fine print in the contracts you sign is crucial. If your vendor doesn’t offer a clause about potential cancellations or postponements due to COVID, you’ll need to consider that you may lose your vendor in the event of an emergency.
Some vendors have created clauses that allow you to re-book your wedding for another day at no extra charge. You won’t lose anything but the original date you set. This could go for venues, caterers, bakers, and bartenders.
If you are uncertain about a vendor’s policy on potential postponements, be sure to ask. It’s always better to know than be left wondering.
Create a Backup Plan in Case of an Emergency
If you reserve a vendor that doesn’t have a backup clause in their contract, or if you simply had a specific vision in mind and didn’t want to stray from it, you’ll need to consider an alternative just in case.
With so much uncertainty, a backup plan is crucial while planning your wedding. For example, if you must cancel your big day due to illness, think of a backup location where you could hold your ceremony and reception if your original venue can’t accommodate the change.
You may also want to speak with your caterer to see if they are flexible with their services in the event of a postponement. While it may be hard to think about having to give up your original wedding date, having these conversations ensures that if anything does happen, you will have a plan in place.
You will also want to keep all your guests’ contact information. If you have to postpone your wedding, you’ll want to make sure you can contact your guests and keep them informed, especially if you have friends or family traveling for your big day.
Guests will likely be spending a lot of money on their travel and accommodations to attend your wedding, so having backup hotels and travel insurance available can help them if something happens. Though this step isn’t necessary, it can make your guests feel cared for during your wedding festivities.
If you’re working with a wedding planner, they should be able to keep all your backup information safely stored in case it needs to be utilized. If you are planning everything yourself, to avoid ruining your wedding ideas, it’s wise to set aside a specific folder or binder with all your backup plans.
Try to Limit Exposure Leading Up to The Wedding
The last days leading up to your wedding are likely filled with stress and worry about all the little details. While it may be tempting to keep running around and double-checking everything, keeping yourself at home as much as possible during this time is wiser.
Limiting your potential exposure as much as possible ensures you, your spouse, or even close family and friends have a lower chance of catching COVID leading up to the wedding.
When you decide to begin limiting exposure is entirely up to you. Some may feel more comfortable doing so a week before their wedding date, while others may want to give more time. No matter how long you choose, limiting your exposure can significantly reduce your chances of COVID causing a cancellation.
Do Your Best to Go With The Flow
It can be difficult to feel relaxed while planning your wedding. Travel plans, the guest list, the vendors, and the small details can all seem overwhelming while you prepare for your big day.
However tricky as it might be, try to go into your wedding with a positive attitude and be prepared to go with the flow. Things may not always go as planned, and preparing yourself to be okay with this ahead of time can significantly reduce your stress.
Even if it’s not a COVID-related problem, many things can still affect your perfect vision of your wedding day. It’s very unlikely that a few things won’t go wrong.
Rather than letting small details ruin your entire wedding, try to push them out of your mind and remember they won’t matter in the long run. What seems like a massive deal at the moment likely won’t be thought twice about years later.
Planning a Wedding After COVID
The pandemic changed many factors in life — weddings being one of them. Large gatherings are now more challenging to plan for and execute.
Rather than stressing too much over COVID ruining your big day, plan your wedding and prepare in the event of an emergency. Purchasing wedding insurance, reading the fine print, having a backup plan, and being ready to go with the flow can help you have a less stressful wedding in the post-COVID world.
Alexandra Arcand writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, ExpertInsuranceReviews.com. She got married post-COVID and enjoys sharing her tips and tricks with others.