Postponing your wedding and not sure what to do with your gift registry? Here, Wayfair answers some of the most pressing questions being asked by couples whose special day has been impacted by COVID-19.
Credit: Wayfair Registry
Q: Unfortunately, we have to postpone our wedding. How do we let guests know about the changes to our wedding date?
A: For couples who have been affected and need to postpone their wedding, the best way to keep guests informed of changes is by sharing an email with updates, as well as adding a note to your registry and wedding website. Updating invitees as soon as possible is essential, especially those traveling from afar as they will need to adjust travel arrangements such as flights, hotels, car rentals and possible care for children and pets at home. Many accommodations will likely waive late fees or changes to reservations, but the sooner your guests know, the better.
Q: How do we delay registry gifts so that they arrive closer to our new wedding date?
A: For wedding registries that provide flexible shipping (like Wayfair Registry), you can simply choose when you want gifts to be shipped. If your wedding registry doesn’t offer this service, contact a customer service specialist to discuss additional options to delay or reschedule deliveries. If things are too overwhelming at this time and you want to have items shipped elsewhere, consider updating your delivery address to ship gifts to another place for the time being while you work through other wedding planning details.
Q: What if we already received some gifts from our wedding registry, but postponed our date? Should we consider returning items to our guests?
A: If you are rescheduling your wedding, you do not have to return your gifts! Although your wedding may be pushed to a later date, it’s not necessary to ship items back for them to be sent closer to your new date. If you call off the nuptials for reasons outside of the current situation or have a sudden change of heart, it’s proper etiquette to return all wedding gifts you’ve received back to your guests (unless they've been used or unboxed). Additionally, including a “thank-you” note is suggested to show your gratitude and appreciation to your guests.
Q: Is it appropriate to add new items to our wedding registry?
A: Yes, you can always add new items to your wedding registry if you decide there are additional gadgets you’d like to include or swap out for others. Most of your guests will be making purchases shortly before your wedding day anyways so you have plenty of time to make changes. Your wedding registry should be an accurate reflection of the gifts you and your significant other are hoping to receive from your guest. It should be a list of things you need to kick-start your life together – so don’t feel bad if you forgot a baking sheet or were inspired by recent hours of binging Netflix and want that sofa spotted in your favorite series.
Q: If we are putting our wedding on hold due to limited availability for dates this year, should we delete our wedding registry? Does our registry expire?
A: It’s not recommended to delete your wedding registry as you’ll have to go through the entire process all over again, so why do things twice?! If you want to keep your registry active but not public, there may be options to set your profile as private until you’re comfortable making it visible again. It’s essential to keep in mind your page may expire by a certain date so be sure to update your wedding date on your registry to ensure it stays active until your special day. And again, you can add notes to your registry so you should consider using it as a bulletin to inform guests of the latest updates around your big day.
Q: What if we are planning to move into a new home or apartment before our new wedding date? Can we update the shipping address on our registry to have gifts delivered to our new home?
A: For those registered with Wayfair Registry, absolutely! It’s common for couples to move before their special day. Most registries (if not all!) allow you to easily change the delivery address on your wedding registry by simply updating your profile. It’s also recommended to email guests notifying them of your plans to move, along with your new address for those who decide to purchase items outside of items on your wedding registry. This will eliminate the possibility of losing packages or having to potentially travel back to your previous residence to retrieve them.
Q: If I already received gifts from my wedding registry, should I send "thank-you" notes now, since it’s around the time my wedding was supposed to be, or wait until after my new wedding date?
A: Although your wedding may be postponed, the timeline of when you should send “thank-you” notes for your registry gifts should not be affected. It’s recommended that “thank-you’s” be sent within two weeks from when a gift arrives from a guest. However, you may receive monetary gifts or items from your registry after your wedding day. If this is the case, it’s acceptable to send thank-you cards within three months from when you tied the knot.
For more advice about postponing your wedding, and all COVID-19 wedding questions, click here.
