COVID-19 has changed, well, just about everything. If you’re a bride-to-be planning her big day in the coming weeks or months, it has likely impacted your wedding arrangements. 

Some couples are proceeding with their original plans, but many more have changed theirs due to the pandemic. One option is to keep your original wedding date but opts for a small ceremony with a limited number of participants and guests (your state’s guidelines may affect how many people you can have present). Other couples have postponed their wedding date, in the hopes that they can celebrate their special day the way they had originally planned.

Possibly delaying your wedding? Keep these factors in mind: 

• Wedding size: How many people will be involved in the ceremony, and how many guests do you plan to attend? Limitations on the number of people you can have at an event may force you to postpone your wedding until those restrictions have been lifted. 
• Travel arrangements: If you have out-of-town guests, they may not be able to travel, or might not feel comfortable doing so. 
• Guestlist: Do you have people at higher risk for COVID-19 among your family and friends? You likely do. Thus, you may want to change the date to avoid exposing them (or anyone else) to the disease. 

Take your time to carefully consider this decision — talking it through with your soon-to-be spouse first and asking for input from others if you’re on the fence. The pandemic has stirred a lot of emotions in people — fear, anxiety, uncertainty, grief, loss. Postponing your wedding may only exacerbate these feelings, so process them before and after making the decision. 

Make a list of the steps you need to accomplish and don’t be afraid to ask you’re significant other, family, and attendants for help. See our accompanying infographic for what you need to do. Consider what is negotiable for you and what isn’t in terms of your plans. For example, you might have to choose a different day of the week to keep the venue you’ve chosen, but that may be worth it. Wedding vendors realize that this is a time of change, and most are more than willing to work with you to make your vision of your wedding come true. 

Finally, plan to celebrate your original wedding date with your fiancé, and rest assured that the love you feel will only deepen between now and the moment you walk down the aisle.