WORK OUT WHETHER TO CANCEL YOUR WEDDING

COVID-19 has forced couples to postpone or cancel their big day, with little idea whether their Plan B can even go ahead – Emma explains how to manage uncertainty and disappointment

Next month I should be attending my nephew’s wedding but, sadly, as for so many couples, COVID-19 has meant he has had to rearrange for May next year, and who knows whether that day will even play out as intended.

DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT

Many of you are probably in a similar situation, and knowing whether to go ahead, postpone, or even cancel is an unenviable position to be in, but it is nonetheless an important decision to make. Your wedding needs to be memorable for the right reasons, which usually means the people you love sharing your day, you looking a million dollars, and your other half feeling like they’re the luckiest person alive. If you feel that a socially distanced ceremony can offer this, and don’t wish to wait, your day will be beautiful in spite of the rules. If it’s important to you that your dad walks you down the aisle, you can hold a big party after all this is over, wearing your wedding dress again, and your dad can lead you in; or if you always wanted your granny to give a reading, she could do that at a family meal in the future.

MARK THE LOST DAY

You may have had to postpone, but try to accept your sadness and see the decision as a positive one. You’ve made an empowered choice, and when your day arrives, the heartache will have been worth it. Try to make your original day memorable. You and your fiancé could have a night at a hotel, or go somewhere mutually special and crack open fizz to toast your non-wedding day.

EXTEND THE JOY

If you and your partner really want to tie the knot, or want to start a family but feel marriage is important first, you could take your closest people to the registry office for a small ceremony. Then plan a reception when everything has settled. This way, your wedding won’t be delayed, but extended. Keep in mind that none of this is your fault, and it isn’t an omen that your marriage is doomed. Years on, you will be able to tell your grandchildren that nothing could prevent the love that you had for one another, not even a global pandemic!