Thunderstorm on your wedding day? Here's what you do!
If your wedding is during the winter season in a thunderstorm-prone area, you may have to make some major planning adjustments. As much as we'd like to control the weather, and with little thanks to Global Warming, we can't- so keep calm and make sure you're prepared for plan B.
To assess the situation is the first step. It's very important to let all your wedding service providers know about any changes. Be ready for the worst case scenario, you never know- your florist could no longer reach your venue due to the storm. If you do have to change service providers, always ask who they'd recommend in their place.
In many cases your wedding venue contract has stipulations intact for these types of situations, whether it's a natural disaster clause or unforeseen event- you may not be held responsible for the entire bill if you end up cancelling the wedding. This isn't always the case though, so make sure to read the fine print! In cases like this, your chosen venue may also be able to move your wedding date with little or no added cost. If you decide to change your venue or service providers, be prepared to potentially find yourself losing out on your deposits.
You need to find out whether your service providers are willing to work with you on another date for your wedding. If you are able to get everyone on the same page, you should be able to negotiate a change of date. You'll also want to check in with your guests, to see if they could make the date change.
To save yourself a major headache, design a wedding weather hotline email or hotline for you guests. That way, you can keep up-to-date on your wedding plans via emails or voicemails. Send out a mass email to your guests letting them know they will receive weather notifications for your wedding, so they can also plan ahead.
This is a sad thing to do, we know. But if you have a flight scheduled on or around the time that very bad weather is about to hit, be prepared and call the airline and see if you have to reschedule. This way you eliminate the time you'd spend getting to the airport, waiting for a delayed flight, or worse, dealing with a canceled flight.
This is not an easy decision but once you've weighed out the pros and cons it will be far easier. If your wedding is to take place in a potential hazardous location, don't question it - call it off and reschedule pronto. Safety should always be the priority in your decision-making. The sooner you make the call, the better. You need to give your guests and service providers room to make alternative travel arrangements. Waiting for the weather to change, last minute, is never a good idea.
