Postpone to Spring 2021?

If you’re having that many people I would postpone to summer or fall 2021. We are only having 170 and I pushed all the way to September 2021 (even though we had options from April 2021 onwards) and I feel much more confident with my decision.

If youre having that many people i would postpone till next summer earliest. look at it this way. it took almost 4 months for us to get from 5 people gathering to 10 people gathering so i doubt in 6 to 7 months we will be able to have a gathering of hundreds.

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Yeah, I am thinking that maybe it might be wiser to push it to mid-October 2021 now. They said they expect it to last 12-18 months. Even though a vaccine might be available by early next year ( I am very skeptical of it being developed that early), distribution timeline etc. would be a factor I need to consider. I don't think they will loosen the measures on large gatherings until they have vaccines ready in their hands to distribute it.

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Oh thank you for this information! They have on the contract a statement such as " minimum guest count" and that if it doesn't match the minimum guest count, I still have to pay the difference. We agreed on a flat rate based on 500 people but I don't know if they can charge us for that because it is a government restriction.

The date change should be ok knowing travels are open and good for next year. The venue should be able to accommodate your guest count. Your guests should be able to make it for next year given the clearance of the borders open hopefully. I hope all works out well.

I'm hopeful for larger gatherings and travel by spring 2021, but it's so hard to know for sure. Some governments are making it sound as if we get normal back once we have a vaccine, but that's not set in stone either.


If you pick spring and need to cut the guest list, would you be ok with that? Or would you rather wait and have the dream wedding in late 2021 or spring 2022? I know it's a long time to wait, but it might get you a bit more certainty.

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Not sure what style of dinner you have, but venues typically don't lock in numbers until a few weeks before the event because they're not shopping for supplies that far out. Are you paying the same flat rate for each attendee? Does your venue have you locked in at 500 people with the exact pricing quoted in your contract?

The reason I ask is because the venue would not be able to legally uphold their end of the contract for such a large number, so them trying to force you to pay for 500 is moot. And if the venue is as big as you say, I doubt they would even be able to accommodate their own sales minimums come October at the rate things are going. If you have to reduce your numbers, even by next year due to government restrictions, you should use this argument as leverage.

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Thank you Tay! I think things should be okay by your date. Just try to enjoy the process as I really did enjoy it. It would have been better if we didn't had to go through it but this is an experience as well.

View quoted message Aw, hang in there! It’s a brutal situation for 2020 couples. Keep us posted.

View quoted message I'm trying to plan my wedding for next year and I'm so uncertain. So I can't even imagine how you feel! I'm hoping everything works out for you, even if you end up postponing 😊

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My fiance likes the idea of pushing it to fall 2021 as well. I mean considering that I want to finish my graduate studies by August 2021, I am starting to now think that maybe fall will be a safer and less of a headache for me as well. I think we will wait until end of July to see what is happening, but I am starting to lose hope.

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I think they can accommodate upto 700 people but it would be extremely tight.

I mean nobody can say for sure—your wedding is obviously on the larger side and international travel is still a huge question mark. Hopefully over the coming weeks and months we will get a better sense of a) how the travel situation will unfold and b) the kinds of “intervals” we can expect in terms of gathering increases. But I know that’s not particularly helpful if you’re trying to make a decision now!


Just out of curiosity, do you have a special reason for choosing next Spring? Rather than postponing a full year and sticking with a fall wedding? Pushing it out a little further will only increase the odds that we’ll have a vaccine or treatment by the time your new date rolls around—and then covid will be a non-issue! Of course innovation could very will win the day by next spring as well, but it becomes more probable with time.
Anyway so sorry you’re going through this and good luck!!

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Looking at how we are still with maximum 10 people limit, I don't see the possibility of having 500. I am okay to cutting to 300 people but then I will have to still pay the difference to the venue. I reached out to see if they have a plan for fall weddings and they said " we still don't know but feel free to call us if you have questions." I think they will be okay for postponing but we will lose deposit if we cancel it ( from what I saw on the contract). I think we will wait until end of July to see what is happening but I am also nervous about spaces being filled up as well. Ah the uncertainty!

What is your venues policy on postponing? I know some venues aren't allowing October brides to postpone yet. Seeing that you're getting married in Toronto and it took three months for new updates of 10 people for weddings, I unfortunately don't think in three months they will be allowing gatherings of 500. Maybe if people are lucky 50-100. If your ceremony and reception is in a church you may potentially be able to have 30% of your guest list, based on today's announcements? 🤷🏽‍♀️. With regards to travel I feel like everything is up in the air. Even if travel resumes in October I think a lot would depend on how comfortable your guests feel to travel and they may potentially still have to quarantine themselves upon arrival. If you're okay with waiting, maybe wait until July or August to see if the government has made any plans regarding phase 3 re-opening.

I think you'll need to discuss this with your venue. They may try to keep you to spring in order to squeeze business out of you but you have to consider the size of their space. Is the 500 you're bringing in maxing out their room capacity? If so, let's say 500 is allowed by spring but some kind of physical distancing is still enforced, that means the venue will not be able to accommodate and you'll have to cut your list anyway.