New Season, Same Colors: 6 Tips for Updating Your Wedding’s Look After Changing the Date

Forced to postpone your big day or change the date? Check out this advice for updating your wedding look without incurring added expense!

One of the biggest disappointments of wedding planning is being forced to change the date, especially after you’ve already put in some planning effort. The Save the Dates have been sent, the space booked, flowers ordered, the whole nine yards, and then, the unexpected happens. 

No one plans for these things, and it’s easy to be caught off-guard. Whether you have to postpone due to a problem with your venue, a global pandemic, or a personal unforeseen circumstance, you suddenly find yourself scrambling to figure out how you’re going to make sure your day is still spectacular. 

Instead of spiraling into despair, work with what you have! It is possible to change the date of your wedding and still have it be the most magical day of your life. Below we have 6 tips for updating your wedding’s look after you have to change the date, without changing your entire color scheme!

Change the Date, Not Your Mind

1. Transition Your Colors

Stick with the items you’ve already bought and paid for in order to avoid overspending, and see how you can transition your colors using accents. For example, if the bridesmaid dresses are already purchased, the last thing you want to do is give up on your color palette. After all, you chose those colors for a reason. Luckily, you can make most colors work any time of year. A purple color palette can be just as beautiful for a spring wedding as a winter wedding!

If you haven’t purchased your decor yet, consider changing up the shades. For transitioning from winter to spring, it’s easy to take your existing colors and give them a brighter spin that will likely work with any decor you have already purchased. If you were going bright and bold for summer, consider keeping some of the bold and adding some darker accents for a fall or winter wedding. Experiment with tweaks to your chosen shades so you don’t feel like you’re starting over. Worse comes to worst, check with the bridesmaid dress company about their return or exchange policy if you really want to make a switch.

2. Less is More

It seems trivial but it’s true: less is more. After your special day has derailed, you might have to sacrifice other things too. Maybe it’s the season or the food, or something in between. Unfortunately, now might not be the time to overindulge. If your budget had to be cut, look into wholesale party supplies instead of individual party favors. Go for simple table centerpieces on the guest tables. 

Changing the date can also have an impact on your guests. You might have to reduce the number of guests, or your guests might not be able to adjust their plans so they can still attend. If that’s the case, get creative to make sure they still feel involved. You can share pictures on social media, or you can even set up a live stream! 

Read this: 5 Tips to Create a Glamorous Wedding on a Small Budget

3. Upcycle

Do you have things tucked away from the original date? Don’t just throw those in the garbage! Upcycling is the new recycling. You can absolutely still use fall-themed products in your spring or summer wedding. It might require some creativity or a fresh coat of paint, but that’s the secret to wedding planning: be creative and be flexible. Let your bridesmaids have a little fun and if your flower girl is still able to participate, talk to her mom about repurposing a formal dress. Who knows, you might even create something even better than you originally imagined! Changing your date doesn’t have to mean a complete re-do. Just update your wedding look by repurposing and revamping what you already have.

4. Do It Yourself

Read this: Advice for Planning a Wedding During a Pandemic

If you’re already tight on funds but need to update your wedding look after changing your date, the answer might be DIY! Do It Yourself projects can be a lifesaver for so many wedding planners and throwers on a budget or those faced with an unpredictable last-minute change. DIY projects can totally turn a wedding around. From DIY photoshoot props to eco-friendly wedding DIYs like pinecone flowers, these simple projects are absolutely gorgeous! It may take a bit more time to complete, but the budget will thank you! Since the date change threw off your original plans, doing the arranging or decorations yourself allows you to really make the space your own.

5. Personalize the Details

Even if you’re being forced into a longer engagement, there is a good thing that comes from waiting: you have more time to plan. This means you have more time to do your own projects for the ceremony and reception. And, you have more time to personalize the day. The things you thought you were going to have to sacrifice because of a timetable can become a reality! 

If humor is your coping mechanism through this crisis, throw some inside jokes around the wedding! Use this time to take pictures of you and your fiance and create cute, trendy frames to place around the party as decor. 

“At the end of the day you’re not going to remember or even want to keep a generic card or place setting,” Gina Spring, the founder of Remember Me Gifts, said. “But if you put in the time and energy to personalize the decorations, you’ll keep them forever and cherish that memory.” 

6. Keep It You

We talked a lot about making sacrifices in this blog. And it’s unfortunately 100% true: you’ll have to make sacrifices. But don’t forget that it’s also incredibly important to stay true to who you are as a couple to make your day personal and unforgettable. 

When the day of your original wedding date arrives, don’t mourn—celebrate! Have a fun date night to honor what might have been. Or if you bought things way in advance for that intended day, have a special place for it in your actual ceremony. Remember that your wedding wasn’t canceled, and it is still centered around love and joy even if there are restrictions to the event itself. Whether you’re a wedding planner, hiring a wedding planner, or you’re planning the event yourself, remember to take a moment and breathe.

Updating Your Details for A New and Improved Wedding Look after a Date Change Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank!

It’s not that we’re recommending rescheduling your entire wedding, but for many people (thanks to coronavirus or otherwise), it has been completely unavoidable. It’s never an easy decision to postpone your wedding, but you can still make your special day just as amazing as it would have been on the original date. Tweak your colors, keep your original ideas, and upcycle to still celebrate in style. Tackle DIY tasks for budget-saving and downsizing. Take this extra time that we all have to add some personal touches to your special day that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do. And last but not least, remember what this day is all about and enjoy every single moment.

Additional Reading:

• How to Choose Your Wedding Colors
• Why We Chose to Skip a Big, Expensive Wedding
• Minimonies, Microweddings, & Elopements: Weddings in the Age of Coronavirus