To consider cancelling august wedding?

[GreyMary23]

Due to get married 7th August next year. I know it's too soon to say what the restrictions will be by then but I'm starting to panic as in the new year we need to start making arrangements - venue is booked which includes food. But we haven't planned anything else (cake, flowers, band, dresses, invitations, decor).

In your opinion will restrictions be lifted by then or should we consider postponing?

Congratulations on your engagement. I'd postpone, to be honest. Could be ok but my sense is that this will rumble in 2021 with anti vaxxers, new strains, etc. If you've nothing planned, I'd suggest looking ahead to summer 2022 instead.

I have booked a wedding for early September, I was looking around venues about a month ago and most of the venue's said they have been told weddings will likely be normal by Easter. I believe with the vaccines coming out already that we will likely be okay.

I would not cancel just yet, I understand that it's stressful but we need more info before anything is done really! 🤞

“They have been told”....by who?

Nobody knows unfortunately what path this virus will take. I would say there is a very good chance things will be a lot better by August and certainly getting married should be possible but I’m
Not sure about about a big wedding with lots of guests sadly.

I'm end of June next year, having postponed from June this year.

I think we're just going to go for it, as everything is already planned and all our suppliers are now booked up for next year. We've also been together for sixteen years and I was someone who was never bothered about being married, until our wedding date passed and it's made me sad that every time I refer to DP I'm still calling him my partner or boyfriend. It's like I've mentally made the change already and haven't followed through!

It's a tricky one if you have your venue but not many of your suppliers booked. Are you sure any of the ones you like and have shortlisted still have availability on your date? If not, and you're worried about the likelihood of postponing anyway (or you just want to ensure that you'll be giving it the best shot of having a non masked social distancy day), it might be worth biting the bullet and finding an alternative date now. But I'd do it quickly as 2022 is already jam packed with weddings of those who've already decided to postpone, as well as those who got engaged this year. If you want the most choice and the least risk, and, as a previous PP said, you can wait, 2023 might be even better!

To be honest, I can't think we'll be 'normal' by Easter by any stretch of the imagination....but I have no concrete research to prove it. Personally, I doubt by the summer too and I would reschedule for 2022, but that's purely personal opinion....and that's probably all you'll get on here, because it's too soon for anyone to know.

Vaccines are being rolled out but it will need millions and millions of people to be vaccinated before there's any slowing of the virus spread. It will still be spreading while the vaccination programme is ongoing, we'll only get to the 50-year olds by June, and that's on current predictions (may well be wrong) so I would guess there will be surges of infection still happening at that point. All guesswork though....

You can get married next August. It just depends if you be married or a big wedding.

I'm April after postponing from last August 😑 I think we are going to try and postpone it again for August.

I'd hold on for a little longer and see what things look like in a few months.

I would postpone, especially if anyone needs to travel from abroad, as costs of travel and perhaps availability may make it difficult for them. Also worth considering if any of your guests have been on furlough or limited income for a part of this year, and for whom the expense may stretch them, but be nearer to being back on their feet in 2022.

I’d postpone. Most people without underlying conditions etc won’t be able to get the vaccine until well into next year and thugs are just going to rumble on.

@Thehawki

I should have got married in June but we rearranged to September. Then ended up cancelling September altogether and had a micro wedding.

In June, before we cancelled the big wedding, our original venue kept saying the same thing - they’ve been told that by September weddings will be back to full swing, we should wait before making any decisions as things are looking up, etc etc. Clearly didn’t happen.

When we cancelled the big wedding and starting looking for a different venue for a small wedding, we were again told the same thing by many venues - by September / October numbers will definitely be up, the wedding industry has good authority from the government that weddings will be allowed, more guests will be allowed, etc etc. The exact opposite happened in September and the number of permitted guests went down.

I wouldn’t trust what venues tell you. They have no greater knowledge of what’s going to happen next year than anyone else. Listen to the news instead.

@Frazzled2207

“They have been told”....by who?

Nobody knows unfortunately what path this virus will take. I would say there is a very good chance things will be a lot better by August and certainly getting married should be possible but I’m
Not sure about about a big wedding with lots of guests sadly.

I think it's more of an industry knowledge thing. I'm inclined to believe they'll be up to 30 people weddings by Easter at least. Maybe it doesn't work out in our favour, but I'm not going to postpone a wedding that might go ahead just fine when I don't need to! I'm also not that fussed on a big wedding so I'll just have a small one of I have to. I think it's best to keep an open mind at least until Feb when we know more about the vaccine rollout and then you know you didn't put off getting married for nothing :)

@mshedghog Thanks for telling me, I did feel they couldn't possibly know, but I've also not put much stock in it either way! I'm hopeful for the vaccine more than anything, and September seemed realistically far enough away to be cautiously optimistic.

I would get married now with as small a wedding as I was allowed and then when we get back to some sense of normality, probably 2022, I would have an evening reception or church blessing (if you’re that way inclined) and afternoon/evening reception.

I wouldn’t let what was happening stop me from getting married. I suppose it’s a good test of how much the big occasion of it, rather than the actual vows means. It’s not nice to have your plans ruined, given the amount of work that goes into planning a wedding. I would imagine by the time the wedding industry is fully up and running again, there’ll be a massive backlog of weddings.

@Thehawki

Not sure if it’s sales talk, or it’s the industry being optimistic, but they have no greater knowledge than any of us. I remember one venue in particular was going on and on about how she’s on various wedding industry boards that have regular discussions and updates from the government and the wedding industry have been told to get up and ready for weddings from September. She was fully confident that we will be able to have our wedding and could even have more guests. We had that conversation at the end of August, and within a couple of weeks the numbers went down from 30 to 15! I would ignore any supposed knowledge or authority they have.

I ended up having 13 guests at my wedding. Should have been 250 in June, and went down to 13 instead. I always dreamed of that big glam wedding (big glam weddings are the norm in my cultural background) so to lose that and have a small wedding was tough. But I ended up having such an amazing day and I would happily do it again. I couldn’t stop smiling all day. Not the wedding I always hoped for, but an amazing wedding nonetheless. And I’m so glad we saved all that money...our wedding was going to cost a ridiculous amount and it’s only after when you look back and think “were we really going to spend £50k on one day...what the hell?!”. So if anyone is thinking about a micro wedding, do it. You’ll enjoy it more than you know! I certainly did!

Equally, for couples, they would rather wait until they can have that big wedding, wait! You shouldn’t feel bad or guilty about wanting the big wedding, so if you are happy to wait and postpone, then do that.

Every couple needs to do what’s right for them.

*that would rather wait

I think if you go ahead next year you need to be prepared that numbers may need to be limited and you may need to make sacrifices. Personally I’d do it small asap and wait to do the big party side with a blessing for another year or two

I think as PP said if the big day is important to you, and it is fine if it is, then postpone.
If you would be ok with having to reduce numbers, either with guest pull outs or restrictions then go ahead and get organised while being prepared for changes.
I was invited to a large wedding last summer that was postponed in April until end of December with reduced numbers, at the start of December their original venue cancelled on them as they don't want to open with the current restrictions so they had to find a new venue three weeks before the wedding. Now there is talk of more restrictions and they just don't know if it will go ahead at all.
I can't imagine the stress of it on top of normal wedding stress. They are relatively upbeat about it but are a social couple with large families that get on well so would have loved the big day.
Just don't want to postpone any longer as they want to be married before having a child.
Best wishes on your engagement and I hope it works out well for you

Since you haven't booked anything else, including some big things like band and cake, I'd postpone. They get booked up reasonably quickly for a good one, you don't want to be hanging around, and don't forget most weddings this year got moved to next year, so you've got even more competition.

We're in the same situation, we were supposed to get married In May 2020, but we have postponed till late Aug 2021. We've discussed that we are going to get married whether it be 15, 30 or the original 90 guests we had planned.

Some friends of ours just recently got married and they had the most perfect day with 15 of there closest family and friends.

It's tricky as it's probably too soon to say what will happen in Aug.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Why don't you keep the date, and instead plan for a very simple modest wedding . One person (you) gets a pretty summer new dress. Local. No hired suits, No band. No bridesmaids and pages, Intimate guest list.
If it gets cancelled, minimal disruption, and you and your guests won't lose a fortune.
If it goes ahead, you have a lovely intimate happy day . Plus, the money you didn't spend is still in your hand, and you can make some really special plan what to do with it.

Depends if you want to be married and make your lifetime vows or want the whole big day. If the first I suspect cancelling wouldn’t be a thought.

Hi OP, that's my wedding date too! Postponed from 8/8 this year due to coronavirus. I'm hopeful we will be able to get married then, but we are working with a 10-person contingency plan as well just in case. Is that something you'd be happy to do? For us, we've been waiting so long we're happy fo downsize if needed, but appreciate that's not for everyone.

Fingers firmly crossed for us all!

I think it will be a wedding just with limited numbers. Venues saying it will be back to normal by Easter and just trying to stay afloat! We were 8th August and we told up until end of May all would be fine, we are now 2nd May and expecting a 30 person at most wedding and will just be getting married!

I wouldn’t plan a big wedding for next August. However I wouldn’t postpone either, I would do a minimalist wedding.