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Throughout the last two weeks, I have seen so many articles on “How to Help Clients Reschedule,” “What To Do if Your Wedding is Being Affected by COVID-19,” “Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Vendors About COVID-19.” Every article out there is how to FIX the problem, rather than just FEELING the feelings that the problem has brought.

I’m not usually an “in my feelings” type of woman. I take things as the come, often with a stiff upper lip and the exact “Let’s fix it,” attitude that I mentioned above. But when it comes to a day, your wedding day, that is centered around feelings and devotion to another…I say it’s okay to feel those feelings. Be angry. Be upset. Be frustrated. Be scared. You have permission—IT’S OKAY!

Hell, I know I’m scared. To be frank—we are extremely lucky that our family’s livelihood does not depend on my photography business. Yes, it’s a nice bonus and we feel it when the additional income isn’t there, but there are some out there whose businesses are their family’s only livelihood. And for those business owners, I am sorry. I know my fear doesn’t compare to yours.

Currently, three of my brides have either been forced to or chosen (out of consideration for their guests) to postpone their weddings, and part of me feels like this is only the tip of the iceberg. It hurts my heart that they’re having to make these tough decisions and then navigate the aftermath. There was literally NO way to anticipate this world pandemic, yet they’re paying for it with their dream wedding day that was preceded by tons of planning.

It takes me back to the last few weeks before our wedding…I was so excited to be DONE with the planning process. I wanted to say, “I do,” and start our marriage in our own home, with our sweet, little pup. When we got married, I felt relief. And it makes me so sad that my brides have been robbed of their relief, just to have it extended anywhere from six months to a year. For some brides, that planning process will begin again, either making sure their current vendors are still available on their new date, or finding completely new ones. It’s discouraging and the circumstances around it, unpredictable.

So my advice to brides navigating the wedding postponement process: grab a glass of wine, a chick flick, and a pint of ice cream, give yourself a night (or week, however long you need) to grieve your original wedding date, then get that stiff upper lip again…and find a way to make that new wedding date your own! If your vendors don’t bend over backward to make that new date work or help you find someone that will, they were never your vendor to begin with.

Just know that my heart is with you. If you’re a bride in the DC, central Virginia, or eastern North Carolina area, please don’t hesitate to reach out for vendor recommendations for your new date!