This post was written on March 13th, 2020. In the days since, it's become more and more clear that the best guidance is to just cancel everything, and we've revised this post to reflect that. We're leaving this up for posterity, but our guidance at this point isn't “SHOULD you cancel your wedding because of Covid-19” but “HOW do you cancel your wedding?”
If you've been pulling a Sleeping Beauty since last November, you might've missed the news: there is a novel coronavirus strain that started out in China, and has now moseyed its way to the United States.
10 wedding postponement announcement wording ideas (funny, classy, and cute!)
So you've made the decision to postpone your wedding because of Coronavirus. First off: we are so fucking sorry this is happening to you. Second... Read more
It's a rather nasty bug, but we're coming short of the full zombie apocalypse. None of this below is meant to be medical advice. Also, this is not intended to be insensitive to those who have lost loved ones to this disease. I'm only trying to bring a little levity to a stressful situation.
But on to the question that's been on a lot of people's minds: will this affect my wedding?
TL;DR: Yes, unless your wedding is in the fall or afterward.
But hang on to your towels, y'all, it's going to be ok.
Unless your wedding is in the next month or so, you're likely only going to see a reduced guest count at your wedding, and some delayed RSVPs as your guests watch the situation. If your RSVP date is within the next month, consider giving them a little extra time before pinning them down (unless your caterer is requesting your counts, in which case, do what you need to).
The trouble is the ones coming up in the next month. COVID-19 has a fairly high transmission rate- about the same as the flu. People seem to be slowly getting the memo about washing their hands and not coughing on other people. However, the municipalities are urging people to reconsider having large groups of people together. Example A: a wedding.
So should you cancel your wedding?
You shouldn't necessarily cancel it — but if your wedding is before June, you should reschedule. Dates at venues are filling up with other couples moving their date, so get the jump on a date you'd prefer.
If your venue and vendors have flexible rescheduling policies, I'd consider this option. Most vendors will work with you on this, especially us individuals. I know most of the people (including myself) that will bend over backward to try and make your new date work, or find someone that can. I'm lucky enough to have a team of coordinators, but your photographer/DJ might not.
PLEASE NOTE: I have yet to find a wedding insurance plan that covers pandemics (the one I thought did, I was later informed did not). So if you're going to cancel, check your policy and try to find a reason that is not COVID-19.
