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3 Tips to Keep Your Energy Up as You Wait for your New Wedding Date During an Extended Wedding Planning Period

Imagine for a second: you’re over-the-moon about your wedding that’s just a few months away—it’s all you think about. You’re consumed by design details, are working closely with your planner to curate an incredible guest experience, and are overjoyed with excitement….and then COVID-19 hits—and suddenly your celebration has been rescheduled for a year (or more) out. How do you stay excited during an extended planning period?

This has been the reality for so many engaged couples this year. As of this writing, there are countless weddings that were planned for the spring, summer, or fall of 2020 that have since been put on hold indefinitely or rescheduled for a much later date—and that extended planning period often leads to a lull in excitement about the wedding as a whole.

While there is an array of advice out there surrounding the logistics of rescheduling, one thing planners and wedding pros aren’t talking much about is how, exactly, to stay excited about your celebration as you navigate a long, drawn-out planning journey.

Today, I thought I’d offer up some helpful tips for keeping your energy up as you wait for your new wedding date to arrive. If you’ve been in a bit of a celebration slump lately, this post is all you.

1. Plan “wedding planning” dates

Back during pre-COVID times (ahhh) when wedding planning was often all a couple thought about during a 6-month period, I would recommend taking time to have dates that weren’t focused on wedding planning. Now, however, as the wedding-planning flame burns low and slow, I’m flipping that advice on its head. A great way to ensure your excitement for your celebration stays lit as you wait for the day to arrive is to schedule monthly or bi-monthly wedding planning “dates” with your partner, where you discuss the exciting bits of your celebration over a great dinner or cocktails. Try to keep things light—this shouldn’t be about diving deep into seating charts (and all of the stressful family dynamics that go along with that). Instead, talk about the experiences you’re excited to share with your guests, the colors and flowers you’re dreaming about, the food and music, etc.

2. Revisit your venue, even if just virtually

Settings are the genesis of emotions. If an extended planning period has you feeling a bit uninspired, a great way to reignite the celebration spark is to try to tap back into the feeling you had when you first booked your wedding venue. Remember how you felt when you first discovered it; the textures, colors, smells that stood out; the memories and emotions it evoked—and travel back to that mindset. If your venue is local, set up a time to visit it again in-person if you can do so safely. If it’s not local—or if visiting in person isn’t an option due to distancing guidelines—pour yourselves a glass of champagne and hop on the internet for a virtual visit.

3. Ask your planner for fun tasks and to-dos

Be open and honest with your planner about how you’re feeling. Let her know that the wedding-planning spark has faded due to having to reschedule your date. Trust me when I say: there is nothing wedding planners want more than to create an exceptional, celebratory experience for their couples throughout the planning journey. If she knows you’re feeling underwhelmed about your party, she’ll do everything in her power to help you rekindle that flame. From assigning you fun tasks to checking in on you more often, there are an array of efforts your planner can make to help you stay engaged with the planning process.