If you decide to cancel or postpone your wedding, make sure you have a plan of action for how you and your partner are going to make the appropriate arrangements.

You dreamed of this moment for a long time, maybe even your whole life. A dream wedding ceremony in Central Park, across from the person you love. Celebrating the love you share. That dream, though, has slowly fallen away. This can leave you stressed, and frustrated by the thoughts that are consuming all your time without really getting you anywhere in the end. 

A wedding postponement or cancellation can affect so many things and the people involved (including family, friends, vendors). It’s almost impossible not to get stressed out by it. In order for you to successfully postpone or cancel your wedding, approach it from a positive perspective by reminding yourself that “everything is going to work out for the best.” Keep these thoughts in mind as you go through the process of canceling your wedding.

If you are having trouble deciding whether or not to follow through, consider talking with a licensed marriage counselor who specializes in premarital counseling. A counselor can help you figure out what is best for you and your relationship. You may also want to talk to a financial planner, attorney, or other professional to ensure that you are making the right decisions for your future. To help you navigate through this difficult time, we’ve put a to-do checklist together for all the things that you need to take care of.

• Discuss your Cancelation Plans with your Partner First

Depending on the circumstances, if you are making plans to cancel your wedding, it's only fair for you to talk to your partner before anyone else. While the discussion may not be easy, this is going to impact both of you. 

• Seek Help from a Professional 

If you are planning on canceling your wedding because of your own personal reasons, you may want to seek the assistance of a professional first. This way you can decide if canceling the wedding is really what you want to do. 

• Check Your Wedding Insurance Policy

Before canceling or postponing your wedding plans, be sure to check your insurance policy and the coverage that you have. If you don’t have wedding insurance, WedSafe has wedding liability insurance policies of up to $5,000,000.

• Talk to your Vendors

If you are canceling your wedding well in advance, have a talk with your vendors. They may be able to give you a partial refund or credit for what you have already paid. 

• Talk to Your Loved Ones

Clearly, nobody wants to find out through social media that your big day has been called off. Before making the announcement, be sure that your close family members and friends have received the news first. 

• Think about Postponing the Wedding Instead

People cancel weddings for different reasons. Instead of canceling your dream wedding indefinitely, postponing may be a better option. 

• Talk to the Venue

If you decide to postpone your wedding plans instead of canceling the wedding, be sure to contact the venue ASAP to avoid losing out on the money that you have already paid. 

• Cancel or Postpone your Honeymoon

Have you already made honeymoon plans as well? Don’t forget to cancel those plans too if you decide to cancel or postpone the wedding.  If you cancel the wedding entirely, you may be able to go on a solo trip instead of a honeymoon. This will allow you to regroup and spend some much-needed time with yourself. Depending on how early you cancel things, you may get enough refunds or vouchers to take a trip to a place of your choice. 

• Notify your Guests as Soon as Possible

Ok, you’ve decided that you are going to cancel the wedding. Now, it’s time to notify the guests! You may want to send out a general email, text message, or even pick up the phone and let them know that the wedding has been canceled. You don’t have to go into detail if you don’t want to. You can just let them know that you aren’t ready to talk about it, apologize for any inconvenience, and thank them for their support. 

• Return Gifts and Get Rid of the Engagement Ring

Depending on how quickly plans were canceled, returning gifts may not apply to you. However, if your timing was not right, the proper etiquette would be to return wedding gifts. Whether you have decided to cancel or postpone your wedding plans, keep in mind that you may also want to return your engagement ring. Of course, this all depends on your personal situation. 

We all hope for the happily ever after, but sometimes stuff gets in the way of that special moment. Don’t be discouraged, the timing may not be right (right now). That doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen. At least now this gives you more time to plan for the perfect wedding.

About Happenings™ 

Based in Manhattan, Happenings™ founder Tom Noel would often take a walk through Central Park. In 2008, during one of his walks, he stopped to sit at one of his favorite iconic locations in the Park, the Bethesda Fountain. There, Mr. Noel noticed that the intrinsic beauty that surrounded him was not being fully harnessed. He also realized that not a single business provided the exclusiveness of an affordable and high-quality event planner. Determined to change this, Happenings™ was born. 

Happenings™ Ever After

Most people give up on their dreams of an iconic wedding ceremony because it feels too overwhelming to plan. Happenings™ is here to help you create the wedding of a lifetime through thoughtfully organized wedding planning tailored to iconic locations throughout Central Park so you can step into your moment with the one that you love. 

"The most valuable and important thing we can deliver is 

an unforgettable memory."

Easily plan the most iconic, memorable day of your life.

An online, turn-key solution for planning a central park wedding ceremony. 

Choose

Browse our venues and curated packages, find the one that speaks to you, and we’ll take care of the rest.  

Reserve

We’ll connect you with your wedding team to start bringing your ceremony to life through expert guidance.

Celebrate

Exchange your vows, in front of those you care about most, and love every moment of it. 

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