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There are no words to describe how gut-wrenching it is to call off a wedding. As hard as you might try to make things work, sometimes they just don’t. Once you make the decision not to walk down the aisle there are some things you need to do on the financial front. Here’s a quick overview of some do’s and don’ts when you call off a wedding.
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Tell others sooner than later
No one says that cancelling your wedding plans is not embarrassing. It is, but that does not mean you wait to tell your friends and family. Remember they are shelling out some money of their own with travel accommodations and gifts to celebrate you. Let everyone know as soon as possible so they can do what’s necessary on their end to get back some of their money.
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Speak with vendors ASAP
Hate to break it to you, but many wedding venues require a hefty deposit to secure their location. They have to protect themselves in the event of no-gos as they could have rented out their space to someone else. Once you decide to remain single you need to contact vendors as soon as possible. Let me know your situation (you don’t have to go into details) and look for ways to get some of your money back.
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Check your wedding insurance
Believe it or not there is such a thing as wedding insurance. It helps to protect a couple in the event they are unable to exchange vows due to unforeseen circumstances that typically include things like the weather and a vendor not showing up. While most do not cover folks who decide to call it quits, there might be some companies that provide insurance in the event you have a change of heart. There’s no guarantee you’ll get money back, but it’s worth a look.
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Try to sell your wedding dress
Many wedding gown retailers do not accept dress returns. If they did we all might try to get our money back after we said “I do.” Should you not be able to return your dress, do consider selling it in a consignment shop. Granted you’ll be lucky to recoup half of your money — but at least it’s something. You can also try your luck at selling it yourself.
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Decide about the honeymoon
If you are still on speaking terms with your former fiancé, ask them if they want to still take the trip as a vacation — or speak to them should you still want to go. If one of you still wants to take the trip then that person will need to give the other back their half of the money.
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Give back wedding gifts
Depending on when you call off a wedding you might receive a gift or two from guests. Return them. Speak with the sender on how they would like to proceed, and call up retailers in hopes they have a policy to make returns more seamless. Some might want the actual gift back while others are okay with letting you handle the return process for them.
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Return your ring
Many ladies probably don’t want to hear this, but you can get yourself in trouble if you try to keep your engagement ring and not get married. Hopefully you got engaged on a birthday or holiday like Christmas or Valentine’s Day. At least then you can argue it was a gift. Just know some states might find in favor of your fiancé should you try to keep it. It is a promissory item.
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Ask for help
There’s nothing wrong with asking someone to help you out during this emotional time. You are going to get questions and might need support returning things, moving out of a shared home, and doing anything else related to the wedding.
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Work to build up your savings
You might hear some people tell you to take a vacation to unwind. This is ideal but not really recommended. Planning a wedding requires thousands of dollars which is why so many people go into debt before their first year of marriage. Why add to your troubles by going off on a pricey vacation — unless of course you have the financial means. Take a look at your budget, your income, expenses, and how much you have already paid for this wedding. Reality might quickly set in that without a second income you need to rework your budget when it comes to everyday life. Now that you have spent a good amount of money it’s time to try and recoup some by saving more.
