As we all know at this point, the past two years have come with many surprises, many changes in plans, and uncertainty around the things we've been able to take for granted all our lives. A perfect example was the ability to go out to a restaurant last winter, or to be able to actually decide for yourself the size of your wedding guest list.
photo by Michael and Kristen Photography
If you are recently engaged, and planning your celebration right now, let me tell you, it's completely normal to feel overwhelmed. After all, most people haven't done anything quite like this before, and it can be a big project... don't get me started on decision paralysis. And I'm just talking about normal times, without needing to think about recent restrictions.
photo by Meg Adamik Creative
While we all can only do our best to predict the future, and plan for any possible scenarios that come up, I can tell you that I've navigated two years of pandemic weddings and these are my top tips for you from my experience;
Don't delay in booking your vendors or making purchases of any items with limited availability. Now, I'm not trying to pressure you into making hasty decisions you may doubt later, but once you have your date officially locked in there is absolutely NO advantage to waiting it out. The events of the past two years have us wedding vendors still working with some 2020 couples this year, and then there's the early '21 engagements; a lot of these people chose '22 dates right away. All of this adds up to limited availability in 2022 (and 2023 as well). I wouldn't want you to have to settle for any vendors who you're not certain about.
Be aware of your vendors' policies for rescheduling your wedding day/making changes. I really hope and pray that we are out of the woods here (thankfully, things seem to be looking up again right now), but it's still important to know this. Vendors should offer you some flexibility on this, but don't expect complete flexibility free of charge for last minute changes or multiple postponements.
Have a clear understanding of you and your partner's priorities, and don't lose sight of them. This is where I recommend a vision board- if that's your thing. I have worked with brides who have rescheduled their weddings three times, and I have worked with others who have downsized to a 10 person micro-wedding or elopement on their original date and called it a day. Everyone's priorities are a bit different. Keeping in sight not only your non-negotiables for your wedding, but also your long term life & relationship goals will make it a lot easier if any unexpected challenges come up.
Happy Wedding Planning!
Ann
photo by Sandra Armenteros