Planning a Wedding During Coronavirus: How to Keep the Inspiration Going if Your Wedding Has Been Postponed or Delayed. 

For newly engaged couples, it can be easy to lose inspiration for wedding planning as concerns about COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, spread across the globe. Or if you're one of the couples who has already planned a spring or early summer wedding for this year, you've likely been forced to postpone your wedding due to gathering restrictions, and are now left with crises to manage instead of reasons to celebrate.

The uncertainty of wedding planning in the current situation or the loss of a wedding day altogether may seem small in comparison to some of the other tragedies that are filling our newsfeeds every day. But the truth is, it's certainly understandable to be disappointed if your dream wedding has been postponed or delayed. A lot of time and thought (and stress) has already gone into planning your big day, and chances are, you're probably feeling separated from your family and friends at a time when you need them most.

While it's tempting to freeze and put an entire halt on your wedding planning, it's essential to keep moving forward in order to secure future dates and the vendors you want. And on a positive note—from wedding planners and stylists to caterers and photographers, industry professionals are rallying together to help you stay calm and inspired in the time of coronavirus. So grab your partner, gather help from your friends and family, and check out these ways to reignite some inspiration as you begin to (re-)plan your big day.

Hire a Wedding Planner to Manage Postponement 

If you didn't already have a wedding planner assisting you with your wedding needs prior to the coronavirus crisis, now is an ideal time to bring one on board. As coronavirus has severely disrupted daily routines and work schedules, this change is undoubtedly zapping a lot of your energy as you work to adjust to this new normal. And if you are already feeling drained, you'll likely have little inspiration to spare (let alone energy) to get excited about wedding planning. 

A wedding planner can help alleviate some of this stress by reaching out to venues, coordinating and negotiating with vendors, and creating new timelines once you've decided on a new wedding date. If a wedding planner is outside of your budget, consider appointing a family member or close friend to help tackle some of these calls as well as field some of the questions from your guests who are left wondering what to do.

As your planner or family member helps take care of these nitty-gritty details, this will leave you with more time to take on the parts of wedding planning that you still find the most fulfilling and inspiring.

Go Digital with Your Wedding Planning

As the coronavirus crisis began to take hold and many businesses were forced to temporarily close their doors, this, unfortunately, meant canceled appointments such as cake tastings, bridal appointments, photographer meetings and venue viewings.

While this has surely felt incredibly frustrating, many vendors have begun adapting to the current situation with virtual experiences. Bridal boutiques, for example, have long offered home try-on options, yet many are now creating virtual fittings. After a selection of dresses is shipped to the bride, a stylist is virtually present to offer their expertise, while family members and friends can video in as well to be part of the experience. Photographers are now meeting couples over Zoom, some bakeries are offering to ship cake samples or provide touchless pick-up, and many venues are even starting virtual tours to help potential couples visualize the space.  

In short, when there's a problem, creatives know how to adapt and overcome. While it may take a little out-of-the-box thinking to keep plans moving forward as usual, work with your desired vendors and see what they can do to help make this time still feel very special and memorable for you. 

Reconnect with Your Wedding Party

While the majority of us are sheltering-in-place at home, now is an ideal time to reconnect with your friends. And chances are, they're bummed too that they didn't get to celebrate your big day as planned. Help remedy this by rallying your friends together for a digital happy hour with FaceTime or Zoom.

Just seeing the faces of your loved ones can really boost the spirits, but you can take it a step further too by suggesting a cocktail recipe ahead of time that you can all enjoy together in your separate homes, or, you can use this time to get really creative, like shipping your bridesmaids or groomsmen gifts and have them all open them 'together' at the same time.

No matter how impromptu or planned the digital gathering, don't underestimate how much a virtual connection can ignite some inspiration back into your big day. It can be comforting to have all your favorite people together in one room, even if that 'room' is technically 8 or so little squares on your computer. 

Remember Why You Are Getting Married 

While it's natural to feel disheartened by the change of plans, remember why you are getting married in the first place: the love you undoubtedly share with your partner.

Make a point during these uncertain times to take a break from planning and step away from your newsfeeds so you can reconnect with your partner. While sheltering-in-place guidelines may keep you from your favorite restaurants or activities, try getting creative and recreating some of the things at home that initially brought you together. Maybe this looks like cooking a favorite meal together and setting up a date night, or re-watching your favorite movie together—whatever feels right to keep the inspiration flowing.

Keep on Keeping On 

As you prioritize health, wellness, and your relationship, don't sit idly during this time. Use your upcoming time at home to stay inspired and plan ahead. And remember, there will always be a time for celebration, even if it's a little later than you may initially have expected!  

For more on COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here, and the World Health Association here.