How to Postpone a Wedding Due to a Natural Disaster

A wedding postponement is never fun to think about, but knowing how to handle it will make you better prepared should anything go awry due to circumstances beyond your control.

If you need to put off your wedding due to a natural disaster, first you will need to notify your venue and vendors, and rebook the venue and services for a new date. Then, you should let  your guests know of the postponed wedding.

It can be a stressful undertaking, but sometimes waiting is the best choice for your and your guests’ safety. Here’s everything you need to know, including:

• How natural disasters are typically defined by vendor contracts and wedding insurance policies
• How to avoid financial losses that might occur when you choose to postpone the wedding
• How to coordinate with vendors after you pick a new wedding date
• How to write a wedding date change announcement to share with your guests

What Is a Natural Disaster?

A natural disaster, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, is any type of extreme weather events that threatens human health, safety, and/or infrastructure, and causes economic damage.

Pay careful attention to how your vendor and wedding insurance contracts address natural disasters as well. Ask your wedding venue what they’ll do if natural hazards like any of these situations necessitate a wedding postponement. Consider asking:

• Do they allow for a natural disaster-related postponement with no additional fees or charges, and how do they specifically define a “natural disaster”?
• Will they allow you to move your wedding due to heat waves that might impact a summer outdoor wedding, or due to heavy rainfall in flood-prone areas that makes travel to and from the venue dangerous?
• Do they only allow you to move your wedding if a natural disaster has been officially announced by an organization such as the National Weather Service?

Knowing ahead of time how your vendors and wedding insurance providers handle natural disasters can make the process of postponing a wedding much easier, if you ever need to.

Step-By-Step Process for Postponing the Wedding

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed if you need to hold off your wedding day. Below we outlined the steps you’ll need to take to help make it a manageable process. First, you’ll need to notify your venue and vendors, then call your wedding postponement insurance and file a claim, before finally making a wedding postponement announcement.

Step 1: Notify Your Venue and Vendors

Notify your venue as soon as you know that the wedding is postponed and inquire about rebooking your big day for some time in the future. If you can rebook your venue at the same time, inform all of your vendors of the new date as soon as possible. A wedding planner can help with both the notifications and the rebookings, as well as finding new vendors, if any are already booked for your revised timing.

Remember: You are ultimately responsible for the safety of your special day. Even if the venue attempts to tell you that the wedding can still go on and rebooking isn’t possible, if you feel that your original date is too risky, be firm. (In the event of a true natural disaster, most venues and vendors will be understanding.)

Step 2: Review Your Wedding Insurance & File a Claim

If you purchased wedding cancellation and postponement insurance during the wedding planning process, review your policy and file a claim.  Your wedding insurance will help you recoup any costs related to fees your venue might charge for rebooking as well as any lost deposits from venues or vendors that can’t rebook you at a later date.

Step 3: Inform Your Guests

Lastly, inform all of your guests regarding the wedding postponement. Do so by phone or text if the wedding was originally intended to occur within the next few days; an email or a more formal announcement is fine if the wedding is still several weeks or months out. If you have a new date settled with your venue, tell your guests at this time as well.

Prioritize guests that may need to cancel travel arrangements first. If you feel you’re rushing to inform guests, you can enlist a close family member or someone in the wedding party to help you and your fiancé inform as many people as quickly as possible.

Wedding Postponement Wording

When reaching out to guests, keep your wedding postponement wording succinct, gracious, and clear on the next steps.

Announcing a Postponement on Short Notice

If you’re informing guests on very short notice and/or are completely unsure of when your wedding will take place later, you could simply say something along the lines of:

Due to [the natural disaster], we have made the difficult decision to postpone our wedding day to a later time. We hope to reschedule our celebration in the near future and will update you as soon as possible. We appreciate your understanding.

When you do have a new date, there’s no need to send out brand-new save the date cards or invitations. An email will suffice, providing all relevant information and allowing guests to RSVP for the new date via your wedding website.

Announcing a Postponement Well in Advance

If your original date is still a few months out, and you have a new date settled upon, you can say something such as:

Due to unforeseen circumstances related to [the natural disaster], we have made the difficult decision to postpone our wedding from [original date] to [new date].

Confirm the wedding will still be taking place at the same venue and time, or provide any updated information.

Wedding Postponement FAQs

Should You Postpone a Wedding Due to a Natural Disaster?

Yes, in many cases, postponing your special day due to a natural disaster can save lives by keeping your vendors and guests away from potentially hazardous situations.

Will My Venue Allow Me to Postpone My Wedding?

It depends on what your wedding venue contract says, but many will allow you to postpone for emergencies like natural disasters, but not for less-emergent situations, such as if you or your partner gets cold feet. Additionally, some may assume that you accept a certain risk when booking a wedding under particular circumstances, such as if you booked a venue located in coastal areas prone to flooding during the height of hurricane season.

Are West Coast Weddings Safe from Hurricanes?

While hurricanes do form in the Pacific Ocean, they rarely make landfall, so most West Coast weddings are safe during hurricane season.

When Should You Postpone a Wedding?

You can postpone a wedding for many reasons, including a natural disaster, widespread illness, health concerns, family emergencies, or simply a change of heart.

What Is the Right Postpone Wedding Wording to Use?

Keep your wedding postponement announcement to guests succinct, gracious, and clear. Tell them exactly what to expect next and thank them for their support, even if you don’t provide a specific reason as to why you’re moving the date.

Postponing a Wedding Can Cost a Significant Amount of Money — But Wedding Insurance Can Help

If you need to postpone your wedding, you may lose your venue and vendor deposits, need to pay brand-new venues and vendors, or be charged rebooking fees for moving your date. But if you have wedding cancellation and postponement insurance, it will cover these costs.

Whether you need to cancel or postpone your wedding due to a natural disaster, family emergencies, health concerns, or cold feet, BriteCo’s wedding insurance policies can help. Check out what’s covered and get your quick wedding insurance quote now.

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