Changing my date/format/help

I'm so sorry you're going through this! I know how difficult that decision is. My fiancé and I were supposed to get married in Portland, Maine this year as well, but decided to postpone to August 2021 for the reasons you stated in your post. Most of our guests will be coming to Maine from out of state as well, and we couldn't figure out a way to make it work this August with all of the restrictions, even with a reduced guest count.

One of my good friends is getting married in September of 2021, so we were worried about the same thing (guests potentially having to choose between two out of state weddings very close to each other). However, our feedback from guests has been overwhelmingly positive, and all of our overlapping guests are still planning on attending both weddings! I think a lot of people are viewing the circumstances differently due to the fact that postponing our wedding was mostly outside of our control. They also seem more comfortable with the idea of attending a wedding next year, rather than trying to make it work this year with all of the restrictions in place.

I know hearing this doesn't make your decision any easier, but hopefully it will help to know that you're not alone! Maine's restrictions definitely make it difficult to have a wedding right now, especially with the majority of guests coming from out of state.

I'm so sorry Lisa - this is definitely such a difficult decision to make and requires weighing so many different factors!

In the end I still think it could be easier on your guests to make 2 Maine wedding trips next fall, than a single trip this fall - but it's so hard to say with confidence! If there are a few close friends you think you could ask informally for a pulse check that would definitely be helpful. ❤️

Here's another discussion where I saw another bride also thinking about asking her guests about their comfort level: Anyone asking family/wedding guests for their opinion on postponement?

And here's a few other posts from Maine brides you can connect with about about the local situation: Rescheduling to a small intimate ceremony and October brides getting married in New England.

Thanks Kelsey - really appreciated your note - it helped us make our decision to cancel & change up the format. I was bummed at first, but now I'm getting excited about what it can be instead!

Of course! I'm so glad you were able to make a decision that felt right to you both. I went through the same process - feeling disappointed at first but now excited to turn it into something a little different! Best of luck to you and your fiancé!