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Coronavirus restrictions push back wedding dates; What you can do in the meantime

First steps to take if you need to move your wedding date.

CLEVELAND — Planning your wedding is a lot of stress, and the spread of COVID-19 is forcing couples all over to make major changes to their big day. Our Romney Smith just got married 3 weeks ago, so she understands their stress. She went to experts to get advice on next steps.

After months of planning, the coronavirus is forcing engaged couples to figure out a plan B for their wedding day. To save money, Cleveland wedding planner Covesa Kelly recommends you postpone, not cancel your wedding.

“Trust me, it will make a difference, you’re not really looking to cancel, we just need to move the date to something that’s available once the CDC has lifted their ban on events,” says Kelly.

Kelly says weddings can consist of anywhere from five to twenty five vendors or more depending on how elaborate the wedding is. Vendors include a venue, caterer, calligrapher or stationer, cake baker, DJ/band, florist, photographer, videographer, wedding planner and more.

Melissa Marik is the Vice President of Executive Caterers & Landerhaven, a one stop shop event center with catering, floral, décor, and more on site. She tells me right now she’s recommending all engaged couples review all official wedding paperwork.

“They should definitely read their contracts because they could be forfeiting any deposits and depending on how close they are to the wedding date, they might be in that window of time where they still may owe a significant amount on the balance,” says Marik.

Next up, contact all invited wedding guests.

“I would tell guests who are travelling at this time that you are waiting on the ban in Ohio to be lifted for events and that you will contact them as soon as you know more,” says Kelly.

Finally, take a deep breath. There are many unknowns right now, but your chance to walk down the aisle will happen when you make arrangements to move the big day back a few months.

“First of all, we’re going to get through it. The party will go on, it’s not last call for us and maybe we won’t have the wedding in April or May like you expected, but you’re going to have a fabulous wedding at some point in time,” says Marik.

Covesa Kelly also says if your wedding is more than two months away, now is a good time to look into wedding insurance in case the coronavirus forces more weddings to be cancelled over the summer months.

Marik says Landerhaven still has dates available in the summer, fall and winter for small, medium and large weddings.

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