Why You Should Not Cancel Your Wedding Due To COVID 19

In one of my last published posts, I mentioned how much the Charleston wedding industry (and the entire economy for that matter) is being shaken to the core by the onslaught of what really has become an "invisible hurricane" known as the Coronavirus. Since that post was published, it's been tweeted and retweeted numerous times and shared among wedding vendors, as well as the citizens of Charleston.  Since Charleston has been told to halt all large gatherings, there have been some rumblings about "cancelling" weddings. Brides and grooms have even taken to leading wedding listing websites and forums asking whether or not they should "cancel" their wedding.  Truth be told, we simply do not know when the Coronavirus will no longer be a threat and when we'll be able to assemble large crowds again. At the time of the publishing of this post, annual large events like Spoleto have been "cancelled" upwards of 2 months out.  For most modern brides and grooms, the planning of their wedding here in the Holy City has consumed them mentally, as well as financially.  Being one of the best Charleston Wedding DJs who has been a part of hundreds of weddings over the years, I am here to tell you to NOT cancel your wedding due to COVID 19.

 According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, to "cancel" means to "stop doing or planning to do something.  It may also mean to decide that something, such as an event will not happen.   Your wedding day is so much more than just an "event". Your wedding day will end up becoming the best day of your life up to this point when it does happen.  Your wedding day should still happen. Your wedding day is going to happen.  If you are a bride and groom and are caught in the dilemma of whether or not you should proceed in "cancelling" your wedding, I believe you will be making a big mistake if you proceed in cancelling your wedding. Like all the hurricane threats that Charleston has seen over the years, the Coronavirus will pass, and you will get married in Charleston. You've planned for it, so you should not be denied to have your wedding, your way.

An Unprecedented Time In The Wedding Industry
Back on March 1, 2020, which happened to be the beginning of my spring wedding season, I could NEVER have imagined that I would be sitting here right now only 3 1/2 weeks later talking about what could be a wedding season in Charleston that has been turned upside down by a pandemic.  That's right, he said "pandemic"; not a hurricane, not a snowstorm, not a flood, but an invisible virus that appears to be coming on stronger as this post gets published. The past 10 days seem like a few years. We're in uncertain times right now,  but you were supposed to get married this spring and NOW, due to the Coronavirus outbreak, you cannot. What's going through your mind?


DO NOT CANCEL: Reschedule / Postpone Instead
I don't believe the word "cancel" should ever be in any bride's vocabulary. Obviously, this pandemic popped up at the absolute worst time, right as the spring wedding season was getting ready to get cranked up.  You've just learned that your wedding is not going to be held on the day you planned.  You are more than likely full of emotion, and are probably shedding a few tears, if not sobbing profusely. Just take a deep breath. Everything is going to be fine.   I am here to tell you that you are NOT going to cancel your wedding, but instead you are going to "reschedule" or "postpone" your wedding. How do you go about "rescheduling" or "postponing" your wedding? Well, you should call your wedding planner or coordinator and discuss a new date and then contact your wedding venue. 


Photo Credit: Mike Bills Entertainment

Ask Your Wedding Venue For At Least 5 Open Dates In The Future
It is absolutely imperative that ALL lines of communication be wide open during this time. It is my belief that at a time like this that ANY and ALL wedding venues should do as much as humanly possible to help you get your new wedding date saved.  You had your heart set on getting married at what you thought was the most beautiful and charming wedding venue in Charleston. You built a rapport with the venue manager and now you need a new date.  Ask your wedding venue for at least 5 open dates in the future. Youl should even consider a Wednesday or Thursday, or Sunday as those dates are not likely to be filled in the future. After you receive these dates, consult with your wedding vendors on which of those dates are open. Choose the wedding date that offers the greatest chance that ALL your existing vendors will be able to accomodate your new date. Be prepared that you might be getting married in a different season, such as summer or fall. Perhaps you were getting married on a Saturday during the prime season. Your chances of getting married on an off-peak day or month will greatly increase the chances that all the wedding vendors you have secured will be able to be there for you at your new date.  


Cancelling Your Wedding Will Come With It A Big Cost
Let's face it. Weddings are not cheap. The prices goes up dramatically when you are planning a destination wedding here in the Holy City of Charleston.  While the safety and well-being of you and your guests are very important, if you should "cancel" your wedding, you will lose all that money that you have put into it.  Being able to successfully "reschedule" or "postpone" your special day will allow you to keep a lot of those investments you made for your original date. While some vendors may charge additional fees to change your date, it's a small price to pay, rather than lose your total investment all together. Cancelling your wedding will likely have you lose your deposits. 


Cancelling A Wedding Is A Stressful And Just A Sad Thing To Do
Ever since the proposal, you and your fiancee have been living in this world where you are smiling all the time and in this perpetual "over the moon" mood thinking about your special day.  I've been a part of so many weddings and I know how excited a bride and groom are when their special day arrives. I know the glow that they both have when they do their first dance and hang out with their friends and family. You've picked your wedding venue for a reason. You grew attached to it and fell in love with it when you saw the photos online and even more when you flew into town to do a site survey.  After visiting your venue, you already saw your cocktail hour beginning with an incredible playlist and began to look forward to your wedding day even more. Do Not Cancel Your Wedding; but instead Reschedule Or Postpone.



Wanna Talk To Mike Bills About Being Your Wedding DJ?
At the end of the day, the Coronavirus crisis that has it's grip on the country is a temporary setback when planning and executing your wedding day.  The uncertainty of when this nightmare on the wedding season will end is the biggest variable to rescheduling and postponing your wedding day.  Should you be in limbo right now, the most professional wedding vendors should have taken the initiative to reach out to you to see where you are at. So far as this post is getting published, none of my weddings have been cancelled. In all of my communication in regards to this very rare moment, I've personally recommended NOT to cancel for all the reasons that I have outlined here. I am very optimistic that we will come out of this crisis on the other side as an even stronger wedding community.   Did your wedding DJ cancel on you? Need a true professional wedding DJ whose sole focus will be on YOUR wedding day? I would love to work with you and be your DJ. You are invited to check out all the other portions of my website, including my blog, which has grown to becoming one of the most popular on the web.All you need to do is click on the preceding link. If you are looking to talk to me about being your wedding DJ, click HERE to fill out a brief contact form to tell me a little more about your special day.  Oh, just one more thing. Read below.

While We Wait On The Coronavirus To Pass, The Perfect Playlist For Two
Are you sitting around in Coronavirus quarantine with your fiancee right now? Is the boredom really starting to get to you? Well, I took it upon myself to create a "fun", custom playlist designed for couples. Just click the link up above, but you must promise me that the both of you are nice and healthy and don't have any of the Coronavirus symptoms before you listen. Cheers! And great luck on the rescheduling / postponing of your wedding due to Coronavirus / COVID 19. You and your fiancee will emerge on the other side of this totally unlikely crisis with a wonderful wedding.