Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the most memorable days of your life. Couples spend months - and a lot of money - planning their big day.
But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many couples are changing their plans.
Colorado Voices
Saying "I Do" During COVID-19
Learn how couples and wedding vendors have been affected by COVID-19.
Brian Wilson and Sara Vogel canceled their June wedding in Mexico, opting for a beach-themed ceremony in Colorado.
Sara Vogel and Brian Wilson were supposed to get married on June 28th, 2020. They planned their dream wedding at the resort in Mexico where they got engaged. After learning that they would have to postpone their wedding, “The first couple of days were rough,” said Wilson. Vogel added, “yeah, we cried. We definitely went out for ice cream a couple of times.”
The couple tried to postpone their wedding to August. “The resort was really inflexible,” says Vogel, “We lost our $500 deposit for the wedding.” Now they are shifting focus and will have a beach-themed wedding here in Colorado.
Many couples are faced with the same question of what to do about their planned wedding. Many are concerned about losing money they’ve already paid in deposits.
Ashleigh Levison and Tony Kaprive kept their original wedding date and hosted the ceremony online April 4th.
Ashleigh Levison and Tony Kaprive decided to keep their original wedding date of April 4th, 2020. “All of the vendors at least have kept their deposits. Some of these deposits were quite large,” says Levison. The couple had their ceremony over Facebook Live and toasted with family members over Zoom. Levison joked, “we have so much stuff engraved for April 4th, 2020, I was like ‘we can’t change the date.’”
They did understand why their original vendors kept their deposits. “They need a living, a lot of companies are struggling right now.”
Wedding Photographer Nina Larsen Reed photographs 40 weddings per year, and relies on them for her entire income. “Without the retainers, we have nothing,” says Larsen Reed. She also looks at it from the couple’s point of view, and understands why they might be frustrated or concerned, “this is really where postponing is so important compared to cancelling.”
Stephanie Walter, Director of Sales and Marketing for two historic venues in Denver, Iron Works Denver, and Mile High Station, agrees. “If we’ve got the dates available, we’re working with them, absolutely,” Walter says. Wedding Planner Jazmyne Lewis stresses, “You’re still able to get the wedding of your dreams, just not right now…with the vendors, be patient, be gracious.”
Ultimately couples will have to decide what feels right for them. Ashleigh and Greg have no regrets about going through with their wedding. “We realized that, ultimately, the wedding is about being married.” Greg Kaprive adds, “and we were able to invite a whole lot more people.”
Photographer Larsen Reed suggests getting in touch with your vendors early, and working out a game plan if COVID-19 continues to be an issue. Sara and Brian encourage other couples to “stay strong, keep positive. It’s just a little rock in the road… this will be a story you tell your grandkids.”
