When planning your wedding, the first thing you should book is your venue. Then you can start booking all other vendors. But what happens if your venue falls through?
There are many reasons this can happen: the venue has closed down, there is a staff shortage, the government has imposed restrictions on weddings, etc.
What now? First things first. DON’T PANIC!
If you have a wedding planner/coordinator, reach out to them and make a plan. You may need to upgrade your services with them but I guarantee you, it will be worth it. Most planners, if not all, have had experience with rescheduling and relocating weddings. Any planner that has worked, or not worked, in the last 2 years, can attest to that!
If you don’t have a wedding planner, you may want to consider bringing one on. Trying to re-plan a wedding when you are going through all these emotions can be difficult. Let someone else take the reins.
So, what would we do, or tell our clients to do, first?
Feel the feels
Contact your wedding planner and get them to make a plan. Then, give yourself the time to be angry, sad, shocked – whatever you need. Now is not the time to go straight into problem-solving, it can be a shock, to say the least. Call your family and friends who you know will listen and vent to them. This will give you a chance to process the information without jumping into panic mode. Most importantly – BREATH!
Contact you vendors
Give your vendors a heads up as soon as you can. Let them know what you are planning to do. Whether that is to try and secure another venue on the same date, change dates or cancel altogether. Look over your contracts for each vendor to see what their policies are on cancellations, rescheduling, and travel charges if your new venue is in another city. Also, ask them if they know of a venue that could work. There are always venues opening up that can host events.
Keep an open mind
You may want to revaluate what your priorities are. If your wedding date is on a Saturday, in the wedding on-season in your area, especially in 2022, venues may be booked up. If having all your friends and family together is the most important thing, there may be more options for you out there. If having a 300-person wedding is the most important thing to you, you may have a harder time finding a venue to fit all these guests. Your main priority may have been the ambiance and theme of your venue but you could be surprised how a warehouse can become an enchanted forest or a rec center can become a glamorous ballroom. Your wedding planner can help you set realistic expectations and guide you through your options.
A venue falling through is not common, that’s why we sign a contract but if it does, it can completely derail your planning. However, giving yourself the space to be sad, then picking yourself, dusting yourself off, reaching out to your network, and thinking outside the box can get you right back on track. Wedding planners have been through this before and always have their back-pocket full of exciting and surprising ideas.
PHOTO CREDITS
Photo: Tyler Ravelle
Venue: Canadian Wilderness Adventures
Officiant: Hilary Fisher
Planner + Decor: Love & Confetti
