What If We Change Our Wedding Date?

I don’t often see wedding dates changed, but you might need to reschedule your wedding for one of many reasons. Whatever that reason is, rescheduling your wedding will have some impact on all those retainers that you paid your wedding vendors. Not all vendors will allow you to reschedule and apply your retainer to the new date, and others will. Let’s have a look at how I handle this situation.

Reasons You Might Postpone Your Wedding

There are zillions of valid reasons to postpone your wedding. Here are a few that you might recognize:

• To save more money for your dream wedding.
• There was a death in the family.
• There was an illness or injury in the family.
• You’re pregnant, and don’t want to be pregnant at your wedding.
• You get a promotion, and your new position doesn’t allow for the time commitment a wedding requires right now.
• A severe storm has rendered your venue unfit.
• You just want to.

What Your Contract Says

Rescheduling your wedding has a similar impact to cancelling the whole thing (and you can read more about that in my blog by tapping right here). There are two important parts in my wedding contracts which cover rescheduling the big day. And here’s what they say:

1. If you reschedule the wedding and I am able to book your new wedding date, we will update this contract and apply your payments to the new date.

2. If you reschedule the wedding and I am unable to book your new wedding date, all payments up until the date of cancellation will not be refunded.

Of course, if you reschedule your wedding and I am unavailable for the new wedding date, we default back to my clauses on termination. Yes! There is still a chance that your retainer will be refunded. Here is what my contract has to say about termination:

1. If you cancel your wedding and I rebook your wedding date, I will refund everything you’ve paid me.

2. If you cancel your wedding and I do not rebook your wedding date, all payments made up until the date of cancellation will not be refunded.

The earlier you reschedule your wedding the more likely I will be available for your new wedding date, or that I will be able to fill your original wedding date.

When you are interviewing potential photographers, be sure that their contracts include details like these. They should also note when and how a refund will be made in the event that one is owed.

Finding Your Dream Photographer

Believe me, I know how stressful it can be to find and book your dream photographer. I see brides and grooms agonize over the decision daily. That is exactly why I created Our Dream Photographer Workbook: Wedding Edition. It includes my best advice on where to find high-quality photographers, what to ask them, and how to make the final decision. And you can download your copy for free by filling out this form:

Share This With A Friend

Maybe you know someone who is thinking about rescheduling their wedding! I recommend that you share what you know with them. There are a couple ways to do that!

First, you can share my FAQ content with people via Instagram. You’ll find my FAQ highlight in my profile at @ridiculouslyhappycpls.

And second, use the buttons below to share this article with them. I’m sure they’ll appreciate all the insight!