Normally our Januarys and Februarys are filled with meetings, excitedly discussing with couples all the nuances of invitation wording. Where the traditions come from, best options for complicated family situations, whether to list parents' names, etc. Now, the conversations include things like how to let guests know you've had to cut the guest list, how to let guests know you're postponing your wedding, or how to let guests know plans may still need to change.
Thankfully, here in New York, things are looking up as far as being able to host larger events again. Unfortunately, at the moment we still don't have much guidance on what exactly that is going to look like. So how do you let your guests know that you're getting married,
probably,
we think,
on this date, but it might be another day,
and we may have to uninvite you later...?
Like basically everything else that's happened the last 12 months, there's no tradition or precedent for this, so we get to do whatever is going to feel best for you and your guests. Here are some unique ideas we've come up with.
At the very beginning of all this, we created these digital Change the Date cards (back when we, naively, thought postponing to August 2020 might do the trick.) We still offer these digital downloads at no charge, and printing these yourself or emailing them to your guests is a perfectly acceptable way to let your guests know that you've decided to postpone.
For couples who already had invitations designed and printed, we created vellum overlays to go over the existing invitations. The translucency of the vellum was intended to feel lighter than the handmade paper or heavier cardstock with the main invitation details that we still wanted to be the star of the show. In these situations where the invitations had already been printed, we could communicate less-than-ideal information, but still let their guests see what the original design and plans were, rather than them ending up in the trash. This wording is still useful now, and keeps a hopeful, positive spin on unfortunate circumstances.
Another example for postponing, this vellum option is still lovely all on it's own, or in addition to a photo of the couple.
Last fall, when weddings were able to happen again, but at lower capacity (similar to how they are now here in NY) couples needed to let some guests that had received a Save the Date know they could no longer be invited to the wedding. This makes for an uncomfortable situation, but these cards are worded in a way that lets guests know the couple is thinking about them, with hopes to be able to celebrate with them in the future. We are still using these cards for the current guest list limitations, and they can be sent in an envelope with a personal note on the back, or as a postcard.
These cards were for a similar situation, but at the time the number of guests allowed in churches was higher than the number allowed at the reception. The couple was able to invite guests to join them for the ceremony, that weren't able to be at the reception.
As the regulations and circumstances are changing every day, we are continuously coming up with new ways to communicate with couples and guests every day. And feel free to reach out to us any time you feel hung up on how to word a hard situation! We can help!