Dear Shikima:

I postponed my 2020 wedding to April 2021. I thought that COVID-19 would have been over by now, or at least tapering down, but no… it seems to be on the rise again. My frustrations continue and things are once again on hold because I want my dream wedding. My question is when do you think this will end?

Karen 

Dear Karen:

One significant consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the mass postponement and rescheduling of 2020 weddings through 2021.

This spring into summer was supposed to I-do redo for many couples that were forced to postpone their wedding plans last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

But for many, it’s currently beginning to feel like a repeat of the wedding blues as the pandemic lingers, making the likelihood of a big celebration with all your family and friends unlikely for many months.

Now here we are in the second month of the year with the virus still in tow and a backlog of brides considering changing their wedding plans yet again.

What I am seeing in the bridal community right now is that the demands for weddings are high, but everyone is really hesitant. Not knowing what the restrictions will be is the biggest setback for couples.

Bookings for the next six months are better than last year but are still quite sparse. It just keeps pushing everything forward for some couples who are on their second or third postponement, as couples eye the latter part of this year, or next year, for their weddings.

Now, almost a year later, with new variants emerging and travel restrictions still in place, they find themselves faced with a prospect they hadn’t imagined: postponing again.

The truth is most couples are split down the middle between delaying the wedding or moving forward with smaller celebrations with restrictions.

There are those couples who are now moving to 2022, because they do not want to deal with the curfews and restrictions and are still set on that traditional wedding; but others don’t want to delay.

Some are saying, “We want to start a family, buy a house, but want to get married before that.” There are those, however, who say, “Our priority is to celebrate our love with those closest to us.”

There is a silver lining in the situation, for those who need to reduce the guest list, a blessing in disguise — giving them an excuse for an intimate celebration, a perfect reason for leaving out some of the second cousins and great aunts. Or another with the delay giving the couple some additional time to save some more for the wedding.

Most couples set on weddings of more than 100 are opting to postpone, while those who were already eyeing smaller ceremonies are reducing their guest lists to meet gathering limits.

Those going forward amid COVID-19 safety restrictions are also adapting to distancing and masks and closed-up dance floors.

My advice for those who’ve secured or rescheduled 2020/2021 wedding dates is to keep informed and be proactive regarding the next steps. Couples who now want to postpone through 2022 are encouraged to keep planning. Remain optimistic about being able to gather in some way.

Experts predict postponed weddings will lead to a surge of weddings later this year, but they also believe smaller and less formal ceremonies could be a trend that sticks around for a while.

The first and biggest priority is keeping everyone safe.