It’s not easy to learn how to cancel wedding, so you must know the four to-dos. This list covers everything from your finances, guests, vendors, and even relationships.
We will also provide examples of how to announce a canceled wedding to avoid awkward moments. Then for the guests, we recommend that you read what to say to someone who canceled their wedding.
How To Cancel Wedding: 4 Things You Must Do To Postpone A Wedding
Step 1. Talk about your finances
- One of the most challenging things about canceling a wedding is understanding and talking about the finances, so it should be what you’ll tackle first with your spouse
- Discuss the potential non-refundable expenses and check the contracts you have with the venue and wedding vendors to identify which fees can be rebooked or returned
- You might also consider contacting vendors if they can just give you credits for other services
- Be open with your partner regarding the wedding finances to avoid potential misunderstandings
- Maintain transparency with the fees and payments
Step 2. Let the wedding guests know
- The next step is knowing how to tell guests wedding is canceled
- You can consider sending an email, telling them in person, or having your closest friends and family spread the word
- Be aware that you don’t need to overexplain and provide details of why you’re canceling the wedding; if you feel that it’s a private matter, it’s acceptable to be vague
- Don’t feel pressure to explain and remember that it’s probably better not to tell all the guests about the reason for the postponed wedding
- If it’s only a canceled wedding, but you’ll be rescheduling, tell your guests of the possible wedding so they can prepare as well
Step 3. Make sure to cancel with the vendors
- Before you talk with the vendors, you have to clarify if you’re canceling your requests entirely or you only want to change the wedding date
- Please make sure you’re familiar with the contracts for each wedding vendor to know their policies
- For venues, you may need to find an alternative date or another couple to accommodate your wedding if it’s non-refundable
- With hired vendors, please keep an open mind and remember that they are businesses trying to survive; do not think that they’re trying to be unreasonable
- Be understanding and make sure that you can meet halfway; identify the new schedule, and accept potential losses depending on the business clauses
Step 4. Talk about the relationship
- The final step with wedding cancellation is addressing yourself and your partner’s feelings
- Having a wedding postponed can trigger different emotions, and it may even affect the relationship; there are also different reasons why a wedding can be canceled, so use the reason to know the right approach
- Consider consulting a professional or a relationship counselor regarding the next step
- Some couples may need some time to wait before proceeding with the wedding the next time, while others can immediately start planning for the new schedule to keep the excitement alive
- Be open to talking to people in healthy long-term relationships as well for added advice
If you already have doubts before the wedding, consider reading about what is wedding cold feet.
How Do You Tell People Your Wedding Is Off?
Here is an announcing guide for the wording and etiquette you can provide your guests regarding the cancelation of your wedding. Canceled weddings can be tricky to announce because the couple likely don’t want unsolicited advice, opinion, or prying in their life.
You can send an email to your guest list regarding the postponed wedding. And to ensure that everyone receives the message, assign your wedding party or relatives to spread the word.
You can also announce your cancellation with formal wedding postponement cards for rescheduled weddings. This way, you can ensure that your guests will find out about the postponement and avoid potential misunderstandings.
Sample wording for canceled weddings
- We decided to reschedule our wedding to prioritize xxx. We’ll let you know when we’ll be celebrating soon. We hope everyone is healthy and safe.
- Mr. and Mrs. John Smith announce that the marriage of their daughter Ana Smith to Sam Richards will not take place as scheduled.
Note that you don’t need to discuss the reason for your wedding cancellation in detail. However, you can also mention if you intend to reschedule the wedding, so the guests can assume that it will still be held in the future.
How Do I Cancel My Last Minute Wedding?
- Notify all the wedding guests and if needed, call some of them to prevent people from getting worried
- Tell your wedding planner to contact all the wedding vendors
- Arrange the refunds and other contract matters with the venue and vendors
- Do the necessary returns and manage the perishable goods like the flowers and cake
- Be prepared to handle potential negative responses
- Consider providing activities if the guests arrive at a place outside your hometown
- Talk with your partner regarding how to postpone the wedding
Conclusion
Was this guide helpful? We just learned how to cancel wedding by remembering to do four things.
To recap, you must manage your finances, talk to the vendors, notify your guests, and address the situation of the relationship. Some postponed weddings will also be rescheduled, so please clarify that with everyone.