What to Write on Change the Date Cards

It happens to the best of us—circumstances change, and we have to alter our plans to accommodate them. No matter how set in stone everything may feel or how many details you ironed out ahead of time, we are all susceptible to unforeseen changes.

Just know that if you find yourself in the position of having to change your wedding date, it’s not the end of the world. It can be for the best—it allows you to have the celebration you want at a time that works for everyone.

We live in an uncertain world, and your friends and loved ones are sure to understand your decision. Nonetheless, you must inform them of the change as soon as you can with a change the date card.

What Are Change the Date Cards?

Change the date cards are exactly what they sound like. They’re cards you mail to your wedding guests to let them know that your wedding date has been changed or postponed indefinitely. They are, essentially, an update to your save-the-date cards.

What to Put in Your Change the Date

Your change the date wording is important to avoid confusion or frustration for your guests. You don’t necessarily need to get deep into the explanation as to why you decided to change your wedding date—you can spare your guests the conflict and turmoil.

#1 A Headline That Tells Your Guests Things Have Changed

When your guests receive a change of date card, it helps to make the purpose of the correspondence abundantly clear:

• Postponed
• Change of Date
• Save the (New) Date
• Change of Plans
• A Quick Update
• New Date, Same Wedding

#2 A Brief Explanation (or Not)

Now that your guest knows what the card is about, you can go into a little more detail. In these instances, keep things simple and save the details for one-on-one phone calls or your wedding website. You can also keep your explanation a little vague, so long as you make it clear that the original wedding date is no more.

You can try explanations like:

• We’re so excited to celebrate with you, but we’ll need a little more time to make sure everything is perfect for our special day.

• Your health and safety are so important to us. To ensure we can start our married life the way we wanted and share the day with our nearest and dearest, we’ve decided to postpone.

• Due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ve decided to postpone our wedding day. But don’t worry—we’re so thrilled to say “I do” next year!

• Every love story needs a few twists and turns to keep things exciting! Our new wedding date is coming soon, stay tuned!

• We regret to inform you that we’ll be postponing our wedding due to a few bumps in the wedding planning road. We’re thrilled to celebrate with you. New date to come!

#3 The Future Date

Rather than dwelling on the past, look towards the future. Clearly share your new wedding date. The new wedding date should be the focal point of a change the date card.

If You Don’t Have a New Date Yet

Perhaps the circumstances that led you to reschedule your wedding haven’t resolved themselves yet, and you need to hold off for a while before you choose another wedding date. You can still let your guests know that your wedding day is no longer when you thought it would be.

If you don’t have a new date yet, try these tips:

• Inform your guests sooner rather than later. Between time off requests and booking babysitters, your guests have made every effort to enjoy your special day. The quicker you can let guests know that plans have changed (though you might not know what they’ll have changed to), the better.

• Let guests know where they’ll find updates about the new date. Whether that will be through another card, email, or an update on your website (hint, Zola makes updating your wedding website super easy).

• Be thoughtful. If you don’t have a date yet, make sure you thank your guests for their patience as you make new arrangements.

Whether you’re rescheduling your wedding or postponing it indefinitely, you must make your intention clear in whatever communications you send out so that your guests are not confused. You don’t want anyone to miss the wedding because they misinterpreted your mail.

#4 Give Clear Instructions for Guests

Then, inform guests what actions they need to take next to RSVP to your wedding. If you’re asking for digital RSVPs, be sure to state that clearly on your change the date cards, along with simple instructions for how guests can do so. If you’re asking for RSVPs through a wedding website, be sure to include the website URL on your change the date cards.

• Check our website for more details
• RSVP by [date]
• We’ll be in touch, but don’t put away your dancing shoes just yet!

A Note on Tone

You may want to sound regretful or serious in your change the date cards, especially if the circumstances that led to the situation were stressful or difficult. And you definitely can infuse this tone in your change the dates.

However, try not to make it feel hopeless or somber by counteracting the less-than-ideal situation with your feelings of gratitude for your guests’ understanding and support. You can make the most of a stressful reality when you acknowledge a silver lining.

Just because changing your wedding date was a hard decision doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun with your change the date cards. Humor has a funny way of getting us through stress and turmoil. Things rarely ever go to plan—that’s life, and your guests will understand and be happy to laugh along with you.

3 Examples of Change the Date Wording

Now that you know what needs to be in a change the date, take a look at some example wording to help get you started.

#1 A Gracious Change in Date

New Date, Same Party

August 19, 2023 The San Diego Museum of Art

Jessica Long and Justine Fernandez have changed the date—but don’t worry! We’re so excited to celebrate with all of our loved ones at our dream wedding venue in 2023. We also want to thank you all for your patience and understanding as we make new plans to say “I do.” We can’t wait!

Please RSVP by May 14th, 2023 through our Zola wedding website!

#2 A Little Bit of Humor

Ooops! A Little Change of Plans

Wedding planning is definitely a journey, and Yuki Aoki and Kevin Chinery have hit a few bumps in the road. We’re working on getting our nearest and dearest a new date (and possibly venue). In the meantime, we thank you all so much for your love and understanding as we get back on track to the altar.

If you’d like to know more about our change in plans, check out our Zola website!

#3 Addressing COVID Concerns

Jared and Shauna’s Big Day: A Little Postponement

When we say our vows, we want all of our loved ones to be safe and well. In light of recent COVID-19 developments, we’ve made the decision to postpone our wedding day indefinitely. This was not an easy choice to make, but we want our wedding day to be safe for everyone to celebrate.

As soon as circumstances change, we’ll be thrilled to send out new dates. We’re sending you all of our love and gratitude for your understanding.

For details and updates, check out our Zola wedding website.

Use a Wedding Website for the Rest of the Details

Did you set up a wedding website when you started planning your wedding? If so, you can easily update the information on your website to reflect your new wedding date and related plans.

Your wedding website is also not as space-limited as a single card, so it can also house a lot of important information about your updated celebration details. Therefore, a wedding website is a perfect place to update other information about your wedding besides the date change. This could include things such as:

• Any changes to the venue or wedding vendors
• Updated travel guidelines or suggestions for guests
• Availability of on-site or nearby accommodations for guests

Don’t have a wedding website yet? No need to fret. You can use Zola’s free wedding website builder to create your website from a variety of themes and templates. Our drag and drop website builder is easy to use, and our websites allow guests to RSVP online and view your wedding registry from one convenient location.

Changing the Wedding Circumstances, Not the Wedding Date

Maybe you’ve decided that a large, in-person wedding just isn’t right for you at this moment, but you don’t want to postpone your marriage any longer. In this case, there are a couple of routes you can take.

Virtual Weddings

Virtual weddings have grown increasingly popular over the last year. If you’re interested in learning how to pull off a virtual ceremony, see if you can find a friend who has experience with one to glean some insider advice.

A virtual wedding can be a fun way to bring your loved ones together to witness your marriage despite tumultuous circumstances that are working to keep you apart.

If you decide to have a virtual wedding using video conferencing software such as Zoom, you may not have to change your date at all. Virtual weddings can also be easier and cheaper for guests to attend, as they will not have to make time-consuming or costly travel arrangements.

Your love is strong, and your guests will be able to feel it whether or not they can be in the same room as you.

Eloping

Similar to virtual weddings, eloping with your partner has gained traction over the past year.

If you’re eager to get married and don’t want your inability to hold a large gathering to stop you, you may want to consider eloping. You can still keep your loved ones involved by taking photographs to share with them after you’re married, and you can inform them of your decision through digital or paper announcements.

Just because you’ve already technically gotten married doesn’t mean you can’t throw a fun-filled party for your loved ones at a later date. While the official ceremony is a large part of a traditional wedding, much of the enjoyment comes from the reception.

Eloping and then throwing a party later can be a great compromise if you want to get your married life started as soon as you can, but still want to celebrate with friends and family when circumstances allow.

We’ve Changed the Date: Should We Change Anything Else About Our Wedding?

Will you now be getting married in a different season? Is your original venue no longer available for your new wedding date? If so, you may want to make some adjustments to your wedding theme and style.

Play Around With Your Original Ideas

You don’t need to go back to square one. If you’ve fallen in love with an aspect of your wedding plan, you can likely find a way to make it work for your new date. Even if you keep the essential foundation of your wedding design the same, you can take this opportunity to remix your original ideas. This can be anything from adding a new accent color to your wedding palette or even just booking a performance act for your reception.

Review Your Plans and Make Tweaks for the New Date

From the flowers in season to the clothes you wear, your changed wedding date might impact more than you think. For example, if your wedding dates are switching from autumn to summer, you might want to rethink velvet groomsmen suits.

Here are some wedding factors that the season of your celebration may influence:

• Wardrobe
• Menu
• Venue
• Indoor or outdoor ceremony and reception
• Floral arrangements and decorations
• Stationery theme

If you’re sending out a new fleet of wedding invitations, you might be looking for a new stationery theme that suits your new wedding season. With Zola’s wedding invitation design tool, you can sort invitation templates by theme. Whether you’re having a fun-filled summer celebration or a cozy and intimate autumn ceremony, you’re sure to find an invitation that suits your needs.

One Last Tip: Above All Else, Be Gracious

Planning a wedding can be an ordeal—for you and your partner, for your dedicated vendors, and even for your loved ones who are working alongside you to give you the day of your dreams. While nobody wants to face many hurdles in the process, they often happen. It is helpful to stay gracious and respectful in the face of wedding planning adversity.

You’re only human, and everyone you are working with is too. A little kindness and empathy can go a long way and prevent the stress of the situation from getting to anyone’s head. A positive attitude is as important to a successful wedding as an accommodating venue or an informative invitation.

Stay Afloat With Changing Circumstances With Zola

No matter what obstacles you face on the way to your wedding day, Zola is here to help you make the process simple and even enjoyable. Whether you’ve dreamed up every detail of your wedding or you’re just getting ready to hit the ground running, we can meet you wherever you’re at.