How to notify guests about postponing your wedding?
Wedding planning is usually done well in advance. To ensure our guests can set aside time for us on this special day, wedding invitations must be sent out early enough. However, even with perfect organization and attention to every detail, unpredictable things happen. Sometimes, circumstances force couples to change their wedding date. What should you do in a situation where you have already sent out invitations but need to change the date? It is not as rare as it might seem. That is why there are elegant ways to inform your guests about such circumstances.
The proper way to change a wedding date
Notifying guests of a wedding date change is not a pleasant task, but there is no need to worry, as you do not have to call everyone to explain the situation, especially if your guest list is long. An elegant solution to this predicament is to send out change the date cards. These decorative stationery pieces serve as a formal notice of the date change. You can include a reason if you wish, though it is not necessary. You also do not need to provide a new date immediately, especially if you do not know it yet, and you should not delay informing guests that the wedding will not take place on the original day. However, if you already have a new date, you can include it in your notice, turning your change the date cards into new invitations.
Emergency situations
Change the date cards allow you to inform guests about a wedding date change in a very elegant way. However, sometimes unpredictable situations can catch us off guard at the worst possible time. If a wedding date change has to happen at the last minute, you may not have time to inform your guests by mail. In such a case, you can take advantage of modern technology and send the same change the date card in an electronic format. Via email, text message, or instant messenger, your notice will reach the recipients immediately. This is slightly less formal, so it is best to use this option only in exceptional circumstances.
The sooner, the better
When planning a wedding, it is not just a wedding date change that can cause trouble with invitations. It is good etiquette for guests to learn about your wedding plans early enough so they can travel to the venue and save up for a gift and their attire. Usually, guests feel obligated to give a thoughtful gift, and they cannot always afford it on short notice, so informing them of the date early allows them to prepare comfortably. But what if you cannot determine the exact time and place early enough, but you already have a date set?
A preview of the invitation
Save the date notices, which precede the actual invitations, are becoming increasingly popular. These decorative cards feature the planned wedding date and a request to reserve that day for the ceremony. Through such a card, guests will also learn that they will receive detailed information later, so they do not have to ask for it themselves. Save the date is a very convenient form of correspondence because it can be sent well in advance, and you may even start receiving some feedback on whether guests will be able to attend.
Take care of your guests
When we invite guests to spend one of the most important days of our lives with us, we are essentially honoring them as important people in our lives. The form of the invitation is important so that they can feel that we truly want them by our side at the table. It is crucial that in the event of a wedding date change or the inability to set the time early enough, guests are informed in the right way and at the right time. Save the date and change the date cards will make this task easier and allow you to handle such situations with class.
If you found this post helpful, we encourage you to read our article: How and when to invite guests to a wedding? Our tips
